


1985

by Pepper_Sanders



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: 1980s, 80's Music, Drug Use Mentioned, Love at First Sight, M/M, Medical Emergency, Oral Sex, Science Fiction, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-08-20 11:10:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20226895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pepper_Sanders/pseuds/Pepper_Sanders
Summary: Time-traveling Lucas falls in love with Eliott Demaury, but they are from different times. Lucas only has 48 hours to find a book he needs and return home.





	1. Take on Me - A-ha (1985)

****“Take on me (take on me)

Take me on (take on me)

I’ll be gone

In a day or two.”

-A-ha, Take on Me, 1985

**Present Day**

Lucas had two days. Two days to find the book and then return home. Imane had warned him: if he stayed longer than forty-eight hours, he could get stuck in the past. They had worked for a year perfecting their time travel machine. Like most great inventions (or miracles), it had been an accident, a fluke. They had been studying black holes in class, and Imane, who was something of a mathematical genius, had been working on a mini Higgs Boson machine. A runaway cat and some spilled coffee, and the Baklallemant time machine was born. 

“Get the book and get out of there.” Imane rolled the copper wire she was holding into a large loop as she studied the calculations on the whiteboard.

Lucas nodded as he tested his suit for the tenth time.

“No field trips, no gambling, and do not meet anyone that you know from this time.”

“It won’t matter right?” Lucas asked. “Didn’t we determine that the theoretical physics in Back to the Future was all wrong; that Terminator was right. That there was no way to change the future, everything is already set?"

“Yes, but then they mucked up the closed time loop theory with the later movies. What if the alternate timeline creation theory is right? You can't change what happens in our timeline, but you may muck theirs up."

“I’m confused.” Lucas scratched his head.

“Me, too." Imane shook her head. "Just get the book and don’t touch shit! And please, for the love of everything sacred, don't tell anyone you're a time traveler!”

"It's not like they would believe me anyway."

"Don't...do...it." Imane pointed her finger at him, but she was smiling.

Lucas huffed out a laugh and gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."


	2. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room - ABBA (1981)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right guy, wrong timeline...shit!
> 
> Half awake and half in dreams  
Seeing long forgotten scenes  
So the present runs into the past  
Now and then become entwined  
Playing games within my mind  
Like the embers as they die  
Love was one prolonged goodbye  
And it all comes back to me tonight  
In the gloom  
Like an angel passing through my room
> 
> -ABBA, 1981

**Present Day**

Lucas stepped into the metal box he had built; it was about 6 feet by 6 feet, small, but there was enough room inside for him to move around a bit. He placed the helmet they had designed on his head. A light silver-colored material was attached underneath the helmet, and Lucas pulled it down until it covered his body; he zipped it using the inside zipper. He at once felt claustrophobic, but he had installed a portable cooling system in the box, so at least he was somewhat cool.

He heard Imane running through last-minute checks over the small radio in his helmet. She sounded excited but nervous. They were probably idiots, he thought, but they’d discussed getting other people involved ad nauseam -- physicists, engineers, even theologians and philosophers. They were both movie buffs, which probably did them more harm than good, and what they had learned from all movies featuring new technology was that you trusted no one; everyone, good or bad, would use it for ill. 

They, or at least Imane, was a prodigy when it came to taking things from the theoretical to the possible -- her discoveries were instinctual and automatic, and most times it was difficult for her to reframe it so that the average layperson, that was Lucas, could understand it. And a lot of the calculations had been completed, not by Imane, but by very sophisticated software. Lucas found he had a knack for the mechanical and for problem-solving, so they made a great team, but he knew they were in way over their heads. 

“Ok, Lucas, remember, these time coordinates are the only ones I can confirm right now," Imane said through the headset. "You have two days, and I’m guessing, we only have three or four chances at this before we have to get more time juice, and you know how expensive it was. We'll have to wait months, possibly years to try again.”

_ Time juice, _it was their name for the mix of organic and synthetic chemicals that charged the helmet. “I understand.” There was a nervousness to his voice that he tried to tamp down; he didn't want Imane to worry.

"Are you ok? We can stop this anytime...well, up until I hit, 'go'."

Lucas cleared his throat. "No, I'm ok...I'm ready." He took a deep breath to slow his breathing and calm his nerves.

“Alright, based on my updated calculations and a discussion with Sofiane...I mean, Professor Alaoui...the multiverse theory is the most probable scenario.”

“And how much does the Professor know about our little project?” She couldn’t see him, but Lucas was smiling. He could almost see her fiddling nervously with her hijab, which she did whenever she mentioned the young professor's name. Professor Alaoui was handsome and charming, and although young for a professor of his credentials -- he had been something of a child prodigy -- he was still ten years older than Imane’s twenty-one years. He was also a professor at their school, although not one of her professors. He knew Imane had a crush on him, and Lucas ribbed her about it occasionally, but he let this time pass; now was not the time to get her worked up. 

“He thinks I’m working on a paper about theoretical time travel, although last time he gave me a weird look when I started getting too detailed about the mechanics of it all. I guess I’m going to have to write a paper soon...containing a lot of misinformation.”

“We’ve talked about this before. If we’re this close to figuring it all out, someone else in the world -- maybe even now -- will start figuring it out, too. Isn’t that the way of advancement?"

“I just don’t want it to be another Hiroshima, you know what I mean?” Imane paused. “We’ll discuss the bigger questions once we get the book. If the multiverse theory calculations are correct, the timeline you will land in should be almost identical to our own, at least up to this point. For some reason, it diverges somewhat significantly a little after that.”

“So this book, it's rare and old. I'll find this famous rock musician who has it in his possession and get back to our timeline post haste. Got it.”

“Yes, well, someone associated with the musician. This first round will be more of a scouting mission unless you get lucky, but the journal I found was written by someone who was at the concert that night. They were shown the book backstage. You need to see if it’s even possible to get your hands on it.”

”This seems impossible.”

”We theoretically have infinite chances once we get more juice...unless something goes wrong, but now we have about three.”

"So the book should be distinctive, right?"

"Right. The band dabbled in occultism and esoteric branding for marketing purposes, but it seems someone was more serious about it than the others. That person collected very rare books. The book is old with a gold pentagram on the front cover. Historians thought it was an occult book, but it’s actually by Louis Valor, a philosopher and soothsayer, whose life was surrounded in a lot of mystery. He understood black holes, enfolding and time travel way before his time but hid the knowledge in occult drawings and obscure predictions. The journal I found points to this book that was lost sometime around 1985.”

Lucas was starting to get a little hot, but he knew Imane was double and triple checking everything before takeoff. And takeoff was more philosophical than he could have imagined. Although Imane could rarely explain how it worked, one night, after they had worked three days straight with little sleep, they had sat on her porch, he with a beer, she with lemonade, talking about all the things they could do with their discovery. 

“I think enfolding works because the whole universe is contained within us," she had said that night. "We are just using technology to trick the brain into going as deeply inward as it can." She took a sip of her drink and gazed out into the starry sky above them. 

Lucas recalled looking over at her drink, wondering if she had spiked it when he wasn't looking. Imane had laughed at the concerned look on his face. “That may not be exactly right, but I think it works something like that.”

"But I'm real, the place I am going to is real...it's not in my mind."

She had paused, turned to stare at him. "I don't think any of this is real in the way we think it is...but for our purposes, yeah, we have to be able to touch, smell, taste, see or hear it to understand it, to work within the confines of how the universe really works."

Lucas had nodded, not understanding really, but putting the nugget away in his mind, to take out and study later when he wasn’t tipsy. Six months later and there they were. He felt like Neil Armstrong or Yuri Gagarin. The first...a first; the feeling was heady. 

“Ok, Lucas, we are at T-minus 180 seconds, let’s run through the final checks together.”

They ran through the checks, and where there had been pure nerves before, a calmness suddenly settled over him. It might have been the light sedative he had taken earlier kicking in, but he felt at peace. 

“T-minus 60 seconds," Imane's voice boomed over the speaker.

He took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”

**1985**

It hadn't been exactly painful, but it had been extremely uncomfortable. He had fallen unconscious, or at least he thought he had because he had experienced weird vivid dreams. There had been spidery looking beings with large heads and long legs, some of them twenty feet tall, and people walking about, well, not exactly people; they looked humanoid, but something had been a little off. They hadn't looked like they were from Earth, but maybe somewhere Earth-adjacent.

Then he felt something hot, like he had been dropped in a lake of molten lava; it didn’t burn his flesh but seared his mind, and then it was cold, too cold, so cold that he went deeper in the dream to escape the discomfort until it felt like he was floating. That part had been peaceful; he had wanted to stay right there, floating for eternity...the thought occurred to him that he might be dead, but it didn't bother him...he was so at peace. Poor Imane, he had thought, before he suddenly felt like he was drowning, as something, maybe one of those awful, long-legged creatures, tried to grab him with its long, strawlike mouth. 

He was suddenly coughing, and he realized he really had been in danger of drowning. He and Imane hadn't planned on him landing in water. He was royally fucked and would die before he even made it out of the suit. He took a few deep breaths - he still had air - as water seeped into the suit apparatus. He pushed downward and realized he was in shallow water. He reached down to try to unzip the suit when he felt something tugging at him. Now he could tell it was someone's hands pulling him, not a monster's mouth, as the person tried to regain purchase and pull him from the water. He felt like he was suffocating but managed to finally unzip the suit as strong hands pulled him to shore. 

The sun blazed and he blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. 

“Are you ok?”

He turned to see a silhouette, the voice was deep and as the stranger's face came into focus, Lucas thought, just for the briefest moment, that he might actually be dead. Light shone around his rescuer like a halo, as wings of light danced around his back; he had a face carved from stone, a work of art. Blue-gray eyes, like the ocean he had just been rescued from, stared in worry -- he was face to face with an actual heavenly angel. 

He finally started to come down from whatever trippiness the time-traveling had caused and realized it was just the light and his eyes adjusting to it that caused his confusion, but the guy, if not an angel, was still very, very handsome... long shoulder-length, messy brown hair kissed by the sun and chiseled features, a young Bon Jovi, except even more beautiful. 

Lucas sat up and felt the world spin. He realized he was sitting on a beach, and if Imane was right, it was a California beach, June 1985.

“Careful, here drink this," the stranger said, handing him a canteen of cool water.

“I’m Eliott, and you are...”

“Lu - Lucas, my name is Lucas.” Lucas handed him back the canteen, their fingers lightly touching in the exchange. Eliott smiled; it was warm and his eyes quickly traveled down Lucas's body and back to stare in his eyes in a way that made Lucas flush. He was sure he looked a sad, sweaty mess, but Eliott was looking at him like he hadn't been looked at by anyone in some time...well, at least not anyone he had been interested in pursuing.

Lucas felt something he hadn't felt in a while, a lurch in the belly, a skip of a heartbeat. Damn, he thought to himself, he was leaving in two days, and not to a different place, but to a completely different timeline. He could admit he was being dramatic and possibly still riding high from the endorphins coursing through his body, but damn it if he hadn’t met the man of his dreams at the absolute shittiest time.


	3. You're in Love - Ratt (1985)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world's greatest soulmates...with only 48 hours...no time for a slow-burn, baby.
> 
>   
You take the midnight subway train  
You're callin' all the shots  
You're struck by lightning  
You're in love
> 
> You take the evening one on one  
You're only livin' to have fun  
You want to use me, take me home tonight  
I'll make you wish that you were mine
> 
> You're struck by lightning  
You're in love  
It's not worth fighting  
You're in love  
-Ratt, 1985

* * *

**1985**

Eliott was still studying him closely while taking small sips from his canteen. He looked down at Lucas’s time-travel gear. “That’s a weird-looking diving suit.”

“Yeah, it’s something I designed myself,” Lucas said sheepishly. “Guess it’s back to the drawing board.” He hoped the helmet still worked. He had a certain time when he had to be back in the - hopefully still working - suit. “What's today’s date?”

Eliott frowned, “Umm, June 24...Monday.”

That was good; it was the right date, and it seemed he was in the right place. He didn’t want to ask the year, but looking at Eliott's 1980's "hair band", rockstar hair, Imane had probably gotten it right. There had to be a discreet way of finding that out without sounding like an idiot.

Eliott was smiling but still looked at him closely. Did he look weird? Out of place? He and Imane had wondered about that. Would a person from the future somehow feel different to others of a different time? He knew he had to be careful with his lingo and any references to things that didn't exist, yet, but he could pass some of that off as cultural differences -- he _was _a Parisian in California. But would there be something less obvious, an "otherness" that you couldn't quite put your finger on? He smiled hoping to dissuade closer inspection.

“It's a good thing I was out here so early," Eliott continued. "I had to clear my head, and I saw what I thought was a big foil bag floating in the water, then it started moving funnily, so...Do you want to go to the hospital or something?”

“No, I’m fine,” Lucas said quickly. He checked the inner pocket of his suit. The cash was still there; it was damp but salvageable. “Is there anything I can do to thank you for saving me? I'm only going to be in town a couple of days for a concert, then I have to head back to...to...”

“France?” Eliott finished for him.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, France."

“What part? Your English is fine, but I hear the accent, my parents live there now, and I was born in Paris, although I grew up in the States. We can speak French if you want.”

Lucas smiled. What a coincidence, he thought to himself. He and Imane, being the movie buffs they were, had wondered about forces working against them as they tinkered with time travel. They were scientists and tried to steer clear of that sort of thinking, but in the books and movies dealing with time travel, there were often strange forces...animals, men in black, circumstances...that worked against the traveler, there to stop them from messing with the balance of things. So far, the forces seemed to be helping him...working in his favor... well, except for the part where he landed in the ocean and almost drowned. He didn’t want to think about what would have happened if he’d landed just a few feet further in. He hoped his luck held up.

“I live in Paris, and English is fine," Lucas said. "I need to practice.”

“Ok, cool.” Eliott returned his smile, and Lucas felt his heart skip a beat. He had such a magnetic smile, it turned his eyes into little half-moons and lit his face from within as though he carried an eternal sun inside. “So, the concert you’re talking about it, it wouldn't happen to be the World Infestation Tour?” Eliott asked.

“Yeah, yes, that’s the one.”

Eliott looked at him perplexed. “How did you know about it? Are you in the industry?”

Lucas paused, not understanding, “Umm...yeah.”

“Well, Ozzy is supposed to be at the concert, although Ratt isn't scheduled to open for him until later in the year. He won't be performing tomorrow night, but it should still be a very rad concert. We're all hoping to generate some insider buzz and get more producers and investors on board. This record has been really good for Ratt so far.”

“So, you’re going, too?”

“I’m part of the creative direction and stage crew, but I help with a lot of different things...but not for Ratt. Ratt's one of my favorite bands, and I get to hang out with them from time to time, but I work for Venus Falling. They're not as well known, but they have a large underground cult following...ever heard of 'em?”

“A little.” It was the group with the member who had the book. There it was, again, something more than coincidence; it made the hairs on his arm stand on end and his brain buzz. What was at play here? 

“Yeah, don’t believe the hype...you know about the occult stuff, although I shouldn’t divulge anything about that. Michael is the only one who takes any of that seriously, and he's not really in the band; he's cousins with one of the guys and an eternal roadie. He's a little weird and sometimes hard to manage, but who I am to judge? I can be difficult at times, too." 

"You, difficult? You seem so chill and laid back."

Eliott laughed. "You just met me. Anyway, I play bass guitar for them every once in a while."

“Sounds like a fun gig.”

“It is. The music, the art, the travel...all the people you meet and inspire. Ratt just released their _Invasion of Your Privacy_ record, and everyone loves _Lay it Down,_ but I’m digging _You’re in Love_."

“I’ve never heard of that one, but sounds like you’re a romantic.” 

Eliott huffed out a laugh and put his head down; he looked up through his eyelashes, a small flush on his cheeks. Lucas wished he had his smartphone and Internet of his time so he could search what Eliott was referencing. His dad had been into metal bands but he wasn’t familiar with a lot of the bands of the 80s. He had researched for his trip, but obviously not enough. It seemed he and Imane had found incorrect information about the concert since it was closed to the general public.

“I’ll have to play it for you before you leave.” There was a look, quick and gone, that passed through Eliott’s eyes. It was unsettling, but not necessarily in a bad way.

“So I don’t think my people had it right. This Invasion concert tomorrow night is closed to the public?”

“Yeah, it's a very intimate-insiders type gig.”

“Shit,” Lucas said.

"If you can’t get it straightened out with your people, I can probably get you in. They owe me from the last time they all got shit-faced out of their gourds.”

A half-smile crinkled Lucas's mouth. “So you don’t party?”

“There is a lot of shit that goes down...I can’t...I don’t partake in most of it.”

“You’re the sober one?”

“Well, I wouldn't say that, but yeah, compared to most of the crew, I’m a choir boy.”

Lucas laughed. He debated, a quick thought crossing his mind; it wouldn’t matter, but still. "So I bet there are a lot of girls...what is the term...groupies? You probably get a lot of action from being around the band...”

Eliott was taking a swig of water from the canteen and quickly swallowed it before answering. “You wouldn’t believe the shit that happens when we're on the road....one time a girl hid in the ceiling in Stanley's hotel room...the ceiling was tiled, and she dropped down like a fucking ninja." They both laughed, but then Eliott quieted. “I don’t get down like that, though.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes, “Got someone special at home?”

“Wow, you’re quick with the personal questions, huh?”

“Sorry...so sorry, I didn’t mean to pry, gosh.” Lucas was embarrassed. It was futile to go down this road, but he couldn't stop himself; he had to know.

“I’m joking, Lucas.” Eliott smiled warmly at him, but there was a twinkle in his eye as though he enjoyed seeing him squirm. 

Eliott passed him the canteen, and he took a sip of the cool liquid not taking his eyes off Eliott. He couldn't help it. His mannerisms, the way he talked, his hair - could they please bring that look back in his era? He had never experienced such a strong, instant attraction to anyone like that before, but it was more than physical attraction, it was something he couldn't quite articulate. His personality? His soul? He just wanted to sit on the beach and talk to him all day, but of course, he didn't have time. 

Eliott picked up a small, broken seashell and tossed it into the water before continuing. “It’s kind of complicated, but I split from my longtime girlfriend a few months back.”

“Oh." Why did that one word, "girlfriend", sucker punch Lucas in the gut? He had to get it together; time-traveling seemed to have effects they didn’t count on. He was extra sensitive, let down because of what? He couldn’t date someone he had just met, in a time that wasn’t his own, in a place he didn’t live, and when he had to return to said time and place in less than 48 hours.

Eliott seemed to notice the change in his demeanor. “We had been off and on for some time,” he quickly added. “We sometimes dated others during the off times.” He studied Lucas closely again. “My last relationship during one of those off periods didn’t go so well either; his name was David." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Guess I’m unlucky in love...might be why I'm such a fan of the love songs.”

Lucas quickly looked over at Eliott. Did he drop that tidbit to let Lucas know where he stood? Was Lucas that obvious? “Hmm...maybe you just haven’t found the right one, yet.”

Eliott turned that megawatt smile on again that stirred things in Lucas that had never been stirred before. Eliott’s smile dimmed before he spoke again, “Maybe...It wasn’t all David's fault. We had a couple of friends who passed away during that time from complications from AIDS; it was rough. And he was from a very religious family who drilled into him that it was some sort of punishment; that he would be next.”

“How fucked up is that?" Lucas felt anger curl in his stomach, the anger turned to something like sadness when he saw the faraway look in Eliott’s eyes.

“I know...anyway...there was other stuff going on as well from my end...it was difficult all around." Eliott threw another shell into the water and looked out at the horizon. He stayed like that for several beats, seemingly lost in his thoughts. When he turned back to Lucas, the melancholy that had briefly overcome him seemed to pass. "Anyway, a lot of the bands performing tomorrow night will be helping in some way with the Live Aid benefit concert next month...it’s going to be exciting to go to that.”

“I wish I could go," Lucas said wistfully.

“They'll have concurrent concerts in London and Philly, and I’ll be at the one in London...maybe I could fly to Paris, and we could travel from Paris to London together...I can get you in Live Aid, too.”

Lucas frowned. “Let me see if I can work it out.”

“Ok, great...its gonna be totally tubular.”

“Yeah, tu-tubular!"

Eliott chuckled, "Guess that’s a stateside thing?"

Lucas shrugged sheepishly.

"What about you? Any relationship drama in your life?” Eliott asked.

Lucas was taken aback at the quick change of subject. “I wish...I mean, not for the drama, although I would take that, too.” Lucas felt his face flush, there he went again, talking too much. “I’ve been busy with work for the last few months, so I haven't had a lot of time for dating.”

“You said you were in the business.”

“Yeah, umm, I'm a writer for a very small indie paper that covers music.”

“Cool...a music man...do you happen to play any instruments?"

"Some piano...some drums." Lucas shrugged. His parents had made him take piano lessons as a kid; he had just started appreciating it again very recently, but drums were his favorite -- it was something cathartic about drumming. If they had to talk shop, at least he would be able to hold his own.

"Maybe we can sesh sometime...if I visit."

"Sure, I'd like that." He hated lying to Eliott, although he hadn't told many lies -- he _would _have enjoyed Eliott visiting him, going to the concert together, but it was impossible.

"Are you staying near here?” Eliott asked. Lucas was glad he had changed the subject.

“I am." He thought quickly, "The airline lost my luggage, and I'm supposed to call later with my hotel location. I do have cash and identification in my suit." Lucas hoped the cash and identification wouldn't be a problem. He had traveled with American currency, but he knew the design had changed since the 1980s. He thought the identification would hold up as long as no one looked too closely. They had tried to think of everything, but at some point, they knew they just had to go for it. "I'll find a place near here."

Eliott frowned, "So you came to the beach for a swim...after losing your luggage...and before you found a place to stay?"

"Umm, yeah. I got out of the cab and was amazed at the beach and view...I guess I got a little sidetracked and then...well, you saw what happened.”

“And that thing...the diving suit...you had that with you on the plane?”

Lucas nodded, “Umm, yeah, I had problems fitting it properly in my luggage.”

Eliott nodded. He looked a little doubtful about some of Lucas's answers but seemed to let it go. The shirt and shorts he had worn under the suit had dried some, and the sun was in the middle of the sky now; Lucas heard his stomach grumble. "Well, can I get your information, so we can connect tomorrow before the concert?"

Eliott paused, seemed to weigh something in his mind before speaking. “I hope you’re not a serial killer...but you can crash at my place if you’re only here for a short time. You can give the airline my number and address, and I can let you borrow some of my clothes just in case you don’t get your things in time...although they may be a little large on you."

Lucas chuckled, "I'm not that much smaller than you."

"I think I have at least four inches on you...but sometimes big things come in small packages."

Lucas didn't mean to laugh, but he couldn't tell if Eliott was hitting on him or just really awkward in spite of his too-cool exterior.

The embarrassed look on Eliott's face made him lean toward the latter, but at least he was still smiling. "I'm sorry...that sounded so much cooler in my head."

Lucas considered Eliott's offer. If he stayed with Eliott, it would save him from having to find a place and spend his cash, but he would have to continue to be careful about what he said to Eliott. After some consideration, he knew he didn't want whatever was happening between them to end just yet, no matter how much of a dead-end it was.

"Ok, that could work. Do you live near here?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, I have an apartment near here with a view of the beach...I kind of lucked up on the price. It's small, but I have an extra bedroom."

"Ok, as long as it's not a problem..."

"No problem at all, Lucas."

Lucas looked down and then back up to meet his gaze. They stared at each other for several seconds before Eliott stood up and offered a hand to help him on his feet. He could hear Imane's voice in his head, and he reminded himself that he was only there for the book...no detours, no additional stops...and he wasn't supposed to touch shit!

****

They ordered pizza from a store near Eliott's apartment and rented the movie, Scarface, from a video store. His mom stored old VHS tapes in her attic, but he couldn't recall ever watching one. Lucas had showered and put on an old shirt and jogging pants of Eliott's. The clothes hung loosely on him, and Eliott wore a shit-eating grin when he returned to the living room after his shower but refrained from making any jokes at his expense. 

Eliott’s smile faltered a little when Lucas walked toward him, his eyes grew dark as they languidly traveled down Lucas’s body returning to meet his eyes for several pointed seconds. Lucas felt himself physically respond to Eliott’s heated stare. Eliott’s eyes quickly darted to Lucas’s groin before returning to meet his eyes again, a slow knowing smile softly curling the corner of his mouth. Lucas felt heat on his neck, but before Lucas could say or do anything, Eliott glanced away and stood up to fiddle with the VCR. 

They barely paid attention to the movie and spent the rest of the afternoon talking about their families and friends, their likes and dislikes. Lucas tried to steer clear of anything that would lead to difficult questions, but it was so easy to talk to Eliott; he felt like he had known him for ten years instead of ten hours, but there were no more heated, pointed looks. Lucas berated himself for the disappointment that began to settle in his belly, but he knew it was for the best that they kept their distance. 

Later that night, Lucas found it difficult to fall asleep, and when he finally did, he had horrible dreams of the weird-looking humanoids and long-legged spider monsters. He sat up abruptly in the dark and felt like the creatures were still in the room with him. It was difficult to breathe, and then his fingers and legs suddenly cramped and convulsed causing him to fall back, writhing in pain. He tried to stay quiet but couldn't hold in the blood-curdling scream that escaped his mouth.

Eliott was in the room in seconds. "Lucas, Lucas!" He cut on the light and rushed to his side. He grabbed and held him as his body finally calmed. "Are you ok?"

Fuck, Lucas thought to himself, what was that? "I'm fine,” he was finally able to utter. The cramps had dissipated, but he felt uneasy. He would have to talk to Imane about it when he returned home; he had never experienced anything like that before.

"You need me to get you something?" Eliott asked, concern making his voice tremble.

"No, but thank you. I just had a bad dream and started cramping."

"I probably should have taken you to the hospital earlier," Eliott said, gently pulling away.

Eliott looked down at Lucas's lap; Lucas had forgotten that it had been hot when he went to bed, so he had removed the shirt and jogging pants and now only wore a pair of Eliott's thin boxers. 

Eliott looked back up into Lucas's eyes. He held his gaze for a second before looking away and standing up. "Well, I'll let you get some rest." He walked to the door and stopped, half-in, half-out, motionless...waiting.

"Eliott..." It was all he could utter, he had never felt such a magnetic pull toward anyone in his life. It was unreal, so strong he couldn't resist it anymore even if he wanted to; it had slowly been building all day until it became inexorable. One second he had been sitting on the bed, a little embarrassed about his erection, and the next second he was on his toes pressing Eliott to the wall beside the opened bedroom door.

Eliott had met his fervor. Their lips locked violently before he pushed Lucas on the bed and kissed him so passionately, Lucas thought he would combust. They finally pulled apart after several minutes, both breathing raggedly. Eliott laughed, which caused Lucas to giggle nervously.

"This is crazy, right?" Lucas asked.

"Hmm," Eliott hummed in reply. Eliott raised his hand to softly caress his face before he pressed his lips gently to his own. He kissed him deeply, but much slower this time. His fingers lightly traced shapes on Lucas's body and his long hair tickled his chest and stomach as Eliott trailed kisses from his mouth to his neck and then down his body until his warm breath tickled the skin right at the ridge of his boxers. 

Eliott looked up at him through his hair and long lashes. He hesitated, his eyes asked a question, and Lucas nodded. He was still hard, even harder now, and he could see that Eliott was aroused, too. Eliott kissed him through his boxers, and a moan escaped his throat as his back arched in response. Eliott placed his hand upon his belly, settling him, lightly pressing him back down into the mattress. It had been months since he had been touched in any sexual away, let alone kissed. He felt like he would erupt right then and there. That hair, those eyes, those fingers, his mouth...it was more than he could stand, and yet he wanted...needed more.

"I'll be right back," Eliott said, pulling away. He stared at Eliott as he retreated backward through the door, a mischievous glint in his eyes and a teasing smile upon his lips. 

Lucas turned his head to lay partway in the pillow, flushed and a little embarrassed because he was a hair's breadth away from begging him not to leave over just a few kisses. He was panting, and Eliott knew he had him on a razor's edge of desire.

Should he stop this? It couldn't go anywhere. Or could he enjoy it? Was it fair to Eliott? They were both consenting adults, but he had never had a one-night stand, and he was leaving in less than two days. Before he could change his mind, Eliott returned with condoms, and seeing him again, obviously aroused and looking like a dream, all thoughts of even trying to stop anything flew out the window. 

"I haven't been with anyone in a while, and I get tested pretty regularly, but we should still be safe."

"Yes, yes," Lucas agreed.

"Ok, good. Is it ok if I..."

"Yes, yes," Lucas moaned. 

Eliott smiled. He returned to lay between Lucas's slightly parted thighs, resting his elbows on either side.

"You're beautiful, you know?"

"Me?" Lucas scoffed.

Eliott put his head to the side, stared at Lucas until Lucas couldn't help but smile. "Fuck...yes, you." 

Lucas felt his face warm, but before he could respond, Eliott had moved upward to kiss him on his chest, nipping his nipples lightly with his teeth before continuing his downward journey, again. He felt worshipped, his body adorned with soft kisses and love bites. Eliott hitched his fingers in the top of his boxers and tugged them down. Another lightning quick smile curled Eliott’s mouth as Lucas’s dick sprang from the boxers. He grabbed Lucas and worked him with his hands before slowly rolling the condom on Lucas's full and throbbing dick. Soft lips whispered something against his hip that he couldn't hear; he thought it had been in French, but all he could make out was his name before Eliott's mouth closed around him. 

His back arched again, and Eliott reached one hand up to splay against his belly as he took more of Lucas into his mouth until his lips almost touched the base of his shaft. Eliott's hand climbed further up, gently resting at the base of Lucas's throat. He didn't close his fingers around his neck, only applied the lightest of pressure until Lucas felt like all the nerve endings in his body were igniting.

Eliott looked up, “Do you like that?” His voice was hoarse with desire, but timid.

”Yes, yes,” Lucas moaned. Eliott applied a little more pressure, gentle but sure, as he continued to bring Lucas to the edge of control with his mouth. He reached down to grab Eliott's hair, and Eliott returned his hand to use both hands and his mouth and tongue until Lucas uttered small, desperate noises he had never heard from himself.

Lucas pulled harder on his hair but soon was so lost in the onslaught of sensations coursing through his body that he let go for fear of hurting him. Eliott reached up to grab his hands, pulled them roughly back to his hair; the move sent Lucas out of his mind. He was climbing, higher and higher until something inside of him completely gave way, and then he was falling in a wave of sensations that wracked his body. He looked down to see Eliott staring at him, ragged breath coming from his slightly swollen mouth. There was a look in his eyes that he couldn't name, a mix of desire and something tender — dark and light, sharp and soft.

"Eliott, Eliott," he whispered.

He finally settled enough to realize Eliott had pulled his boxers down and had moved his hand to his own dick and was now pumping fast. Lucas sat upon his knees and Eliott followed, still chasing his orgasm. He put his hand behind Eliott's head and pulled him close to kiss him, Eliott moaned into his mouth as Lucas deepened the kiss and gave another slight tug to Eliott's hair. He reached around with his other arm to cup Eliott's ass as Eliott panted against his mouth, everything spit-slick between them and urgent again. Eliott slowed down his movements and finally moaned and convulsed against him, his seed spilling on the bed and Lucas's thigh. He slumped over, resting a beat before sitting back up to tenderly kiss Lucas, again.

They lay together in their shared sticky saltiness of sweat and the remnants of their lovemaking until they had caught their breath.

"Well, ok then," Lucas said.

"Yeah," Eliott agreed.

They stripped the bed and took a shower together, neither able to let go of the other for more than a few seconds. They lay together in Eliott's bed and kissed until they were finally both sated.

He noticed Eliott wore a worried look on his face. "Did I mess this up?" Eliott finally asked.

"What do you mean?" 

"I haven't slept with anyone in several months, and I've never done anything like that just after meeting someone. I feel like I messed this up." Lucas shook his head, but he must not have been able to hide all of the worry running through his mind. "I knew it, fuck."

"No, no, it's not that," Lucas assured him. "I don't usually do that either. It's just...I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

"I know..." Eliott continued, "Ok, let's just enjoy this time together. I can get your number."

Lucas frowned. "I'm sort of in between places, but I can take yours."

Eliott looked at him and frowned. "Umm...ok, yeah...ok. I'll write it down for you tomorrow, you never called the airline and probably should do that first thing in the morning."

Eliott was nice but a little distant the rest of the night. Lucas wanted to recapture the closeness of just a few minutes before, but after a short time, Eliott said goodnight, clicked his side lamp off and turned his back to Lucas as he fell asleep. Lucas stared at his back, wanting to hold him again, but not wanting to complicate things any more than they already were. He had always thought people who said they fell in love at first sight were idiots, lustful idiots, but idiots all the same, but as he looked at Eliott's sleeping form, he wasn't so sure anymore. His time there was short; he could not fall in love, but he feared it was already too late. 


	4. We've Got Tonight - K. Rogers & S. Easton (1983)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One more day before Lucas has to leave. How do you say goodbye to the one you love?
> 
> We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?  
Let's make it last, let's find a way  
Turn out the light, come take my hand now  
We've got tonight, babe  
Why don't you stay?  
Why don't you stay?  
-K. Rogers and S. Easton, 1983

**1985**

Eliott cooked him breakfast the next morning; it was...edible. The eggs were a little over-peppered and the bacon overcooked, but no one had ever taken the time to cook breakfast for him, other than his parents when he was a kid, so he gulped it down happily without complaints. He was also elated to see that Eliott wasn't as distant as he had been the night before.

After eating, Lucas walked him to the door; Eliott paused, looked at him as if he would kiss him before leaving, but instead gave a soft smile and smoothed down a strand of Lucas's unruly hair. He had a meeting with the band that morning to go over the details for the performance that night but told Lucas he would return later so they could go to the concert together.

Lucas tried to convince himself that it was for the best, that they needed their distance. He could still feel the magnetic pull between them; it was so strong he wanted to chase Eliott out the door, grab him and kiss him until he cried “uncle” and kissed him back, but he was an adult and could control himself.

Lucas dressed and took a walk on Junipero Beach, trying to clear his mind. He followed that with a quick lunch at a restaurant near the beach that had a view of the water. He tried to stay close to Eliott's place but wanted to soak in the people, clothes, music, and food of the 80s. It was thrilling, a time his mother remembered and talked about with a sort of romanticized nostalgia, but even she had just been a kid.

California — he hadn't visited it even in his own time. This gift he and Imane could give the world was amazing, but he could see how it could be fraught with issues. Were they to be tourists, enjoying the sites and sounds and possibly learning ways to better their own time, or were they supposed to try to change things for the better and possibly muck up people's lives in the process? Maybe they didn't even have that power. Maybe things were already written in stone, and whether you thought you changed things or not, what was meant to happen would happen — at least the stuff that mattered — and no power on Earth could change that. His mind then wandered to Eliott...the blue-eyed angel that had completely thrown him for a loop.

He bought clothes to wear later that night and headed back to Eliott's apartment to get ready for the concert. He would have to turn his attention away from his romantic issues and back to his mission. Eliott had told him to hide the key in a small opening in one of the bricks next to the door, but it was now gone. He knocked, and Eliott opened the door and beckoned him inside.

"Hello, you made it back." Eliott gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Lucas stilled, the returned affection welcomed, but unexpected. He shut the door and followed Eliott into the room.

Eliott smiled before speaking. "So...about yesterday. I had some time to think about it today. I didn't mean to make things awkward. I know I acted a little weird last night. I just never met anyone like you before, and...everything's cool. There was just something weird in the air, and I felt odd all day yesterday."

Lucas pushed his tongue in his cheek, different responses flitting through his mind. He wanted to assure him that what they shared had been special, but he couldn't tell him the reason why they couldn't have more than that. It was eating him up inside. "The day was weird," he agreed. "But I don't regret what we did. I hope you don't."

Eliott sighed in relief. "Not at all, I was worried you did." Eliott grabbed his hand. "Well, whatever the future holds, let's have a good time tonight. Ok?"

"Parfait...perfect," Lucas said. He thought about what Eliott said about the weirdness of the day before. "You never told me why you were on the beach so early yesterday."

Something quickly flitted across Eliott's face, a touch of sadness that Lucas instinctively wanted to kiss away. Eliott shook his head. "I've been a little meditative lately because I've been feeling restless...like...I have this profound desire to experience something I can't name." He looked over at him. "I know that sounds weird."

"No, I get it, and weird's ok."

Eliott chuckled. "Well, it's interesting how you popped in the water during my existential crisis...literally from out of nowhere."

Lucas gave a nervous smile. "Yeah, interesting."

"So, you never told me why you're here to see the concert. Are you doing a story on one of the bands?"

"Yeah, yes. I'm writing a piece about occult influences in rock."

"Oh, that's been in the news a lot lately." Eliott's eyes suddenly widened, "Please don't quote me on the stuff I said yesterday about it being all fake and whatnot."

"No worries," Lucas assured him. "I'll keep it off the record, but my sources say someone in Venus Falling is the real deal and collects rare books about the occult. Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh, that must be Michael...he's the guy I told you about yesterday. I don't know if he's the real deal, but he's different."

"Is there any way you think I could meet him tonight?"

"Sure, if there's time at the concert. He loves talking to people about that stuff. We might have a party at one of the agent's homes afterward. It could be fun. If we can't talk to Michael at the concert, I can probably introduce you two at the party."

"Ok, great...thanks, Eliott." Lucas hoped he would get a shot at the book or at least determine if it was even possible to get his hands on it.

They finished the afternoon talking and eating leftover pizza before they got dressed for the evening. Lucas was happy that Eliott was himself again. It seemed they had both decided to live in the present, holding hands on the walk to the club where the bands would be performing that night, stealing kisses as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

They walked to the side door of the club where a large man in a red shirt and tan pants stood. Eliott talked to him for a few minutes before he knocked three times on the door and said a few words to someone on the other side. They were ushered into a smoky, blue-light filled hallway. They passed small make-shift dressing rooms the size of closets before finally making it to the back of a large stage area.

People mingled about, running through last-minute checks; it was a little bit of a madhouse, but Lucas stared wide-eyed in awe and admired Eliott in his element. Eliott introduced him to a few of the band members. He looked around at all the organized chaos and noticed Ozzy Osbourne talking to a couple of people from afar. It was unsettling; he knew Ozzy as a 70-year-old man, to see him in person and younger made his head spin a little -- of all things to make him feel unsettled, it was Ozzy fucking Osbourne. But Lucas supposed he was the first person he had known, or at least known of, from both times and based on their current theory, this wasn't even his Ozzy. It was all very surreal.

"There's Michael over there. Looks like he's already regaling people with his stories."

Lucas looked to where Eliott was pointing. A tall, thin man, dressed in black, with oil slick hair and wearing a large, silver medallion around his neck stood in the center of a handful of people. They walked over to the edge of the circle to hear him explain how he had come across the book in his hand. He told a story of an out of the way blues club in the middle of swamp country and a deal with a conjure woman.

Eliott leaned down to whisper in his ear, "His friend won the book in an auction, and he cheated said friend for it in a bad bet."

Lucas huffed out a short laugh, but he noticed that the people were mesmerized; Michael could spin a good tale. Lucas stood on his toes to get a better look. It had to be the book. He was just about to get closer when a tall, lanky guy with long, wavy hair and wearing black leather pants and a silk shirt unbuttoned to the navel yelled into the crowd.

"That's Stanley, Michael's cousin and lead in Venus Falling," Eliott explained.

Lucas looked at Stanley, he had an aura about him, a certain je ne sais quoi. "Well, I get it now," he murmured.

"What?" Eliott asked perplexed.

"The girl in the ceiling."

Eliott paused before letting out a loud guffaw that caused a couple of people to turn in their direction. He leaned down to whisper in Lucas's ear, "But I already have dibs on you, so don't get any ideas." He swatted him playfully on his ass.

Lucas coughed, choking on his own spit, unbelievably turned on by Eliott's words, but before he could think of a witty or cheeky comeback, Stanley looked in their direction. "Eliott...Mike...we need you guys to help with some stage stuff. Some idiot put the wrong boxes out there."

"Ok, we're on it," Eliott replied.

Lucas sighed, he had gotten so distracted by Eliott that he had completely forgotten why he was there in the first place. He looked over to see Michael placing the book in a velvet bag, which he tucked tightly under his arm. Had he seen a gold pentagram on the cover before he put it away? Lucas thought he had.

Eliott turned back to Lucas. "I'll take you to our section outside. I might be needed backstage for a little while, but if I can, I'll try to make it out there to sit with you. I'll try to talk to Michael to see if he'll talk to you later about his...interests."

Lucas nodded and followed Eliott to a brightly lit hallway and then to a door that led to the front of the building where several people were entering to enjoy the concert. They stopped at a table near the stage. A tall, handsome guy with smooth, brown skin, a shaved head, and a warm smile greeted them. Eliott introduced him as Idriss. Idriss was an old school friend, but also an A&R manager at Venus Falling's record company.

"Take care of him, Idriss. I'll try to get back out here to hang with you guys before it starts."

Elliott left but then returned to kiss Lucas softly on the lips. He left again but returned to kiss him again before finally leaving, walking backward with a mischievous glint in his eye. Lucas wondered if he was thinking about his “dibs” comment from earlier. Eliott didn't break eye contact until he nearly collided with someone exiting from the backstage area.

"That love-struck idiot," Idriss chuckled. He turned his attention to Lucas who was probably looking like a love-struck idiot as well; his jaws were hurting from smiling so hard. "So, I hear you're a writer."

"Yeah, for a small indie paper. I'm here to write a few stories on the bands.” He didn't want to explain too much; the fewer details the better.

"That's cool," Idriss said. There were a couple of other people in their section and a few introductions were made, but everyone mostly mingled with the people they had come with as they waited for the concert to begin. A waiter walked around passing out drinks, and Lucas and Idriss grabbed glasses before making themselves comfortable on the leather couch.

Lucas noticed that Idriss was studying him. He wondered if Eliott had told him anything about their encounter the day before.

"So, I hear you guys hit it off yesterday."

Lucas took a small sip of his drink. "Yeah, we did. Eliott's cool; I've never met anyone like him."

"Uh-huh," Idriss replied. Lucas felt tension in the air, but he didn't want to poke the bear. Things were complicated enough as they were. After a few silent seconds passed, Idriss finally spoke again, "Eliott is cool and very trusting...sometimes too trusting."

Lucas turned toward Idriss and nodded, he didn't say anything, waited to see what Idriss would say next.

"You seem like a cool dude from what he told me, but if you're just here to hook up with someone with ties to the band, or to just have a good time, or even to use him to get a good story..."

Lucas was appalled; he made him sound like some groupie or opportunist. He was now sure that Eliott had told him about yesterday. Eliott had probably accepted Lucas's lame explanations for everything, but it seemed his protective friend had not.

Lucas cut him off, "I'm not here for any of those things. I really like Eliott. I'm just here to write my story...and we just happened to..."

"Fuck on the first day you met?"

Lucas wanted to sink into the couch, just disappear; he wished he had his suit so he could zip right on back to the future. He was so embarrassed. "He-he told you about that?"

"Not really, but you just confirmed what I thought. He was so giddy this morning, literally glowing...going on and on about the guy he saved on the beach, who he invited into his home within minutes of meeting him...and when I saw you two together just now, I knew it."

Lucas was even more embarrassed now, but he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He rubbed his hands nervously through his hair. "Well...we didn't actually—,” Lucas started, he could feel his face burning.

"It's fine, Lucas, I don't need the details."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Well, I was going to say that we just really... clicked." Lucas looked down, all of a sudden saddened about the unfairness of it all.

Idriss must have noticed the mood shift because his voice softened."Ok, I believe that...but you're leaving tomorrow, right?"

Lucas nodded.

"Look, I'm sorry for being such a judgemental ass, and I know he's a grown man who doesn't need his friend in his business, but he's...he's been through a lot. And although he's as trusting as a big puppy, he rarely lets anyone in the way he seemed to do with you...and in one fucking day no less. Just...don't hurt him if you don’t have to, ok?”

Lucas nodded, again, but didn't know what else to say. Eliott chose that time to return to the table.

"Why are you guys looking so tense? It's a concert."

He looked over at Idriss and something passed through his eyes, a warning? Disapproval?

Idriss shrugged. "I was just trying to get to know your new friend. He says he's working on a story."

Eliott sat down, looked between the two of them. "Are you ok, Lucas?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You have a great friend there."

Eliott smiled at Idriss. "Yeah, I do. We've been through a lot of shit together."

They did some kind of elaborate handshake before Eliott finally relaxed and sat back between the two of them.

"Well, get ready for a kick-ass concert. Ratt is supposed to perform a never before heard song for us tonight."

"Did they get the tickets straightened out for the Live Aid travel?" Idriss asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to see if I can get Lucas in, too."

Idriss turned his gaze on Lucas. "That'll be a good time...if he can make it."

Lucas gave a small smile and then glanced away, his stomach in knots; he looked back toward the stage as the lights dimmed and then plunged them into complete darkness. He looked around, expecting cell phone lights to click on, but then remembered, cell phones like that weren't a thing, yet. There were a few flames from lighters here and there, but not many. Someone screamed in the darkness, and a few people tittered at the exuberant display of excitement.

After a few seconds, bright lights splashed on the stage, and Stanley stood in the spotlight in all his rock-god glory. Eliott placed his hand on Lucas’s thigh and squeezed before reaching over to nuzzle him behind his ear. He wanted to return the affection but thought he felt Idriss's eyes on him. When he looked over, Idriss wasn't looking at him; his focus was on the stage. He tried to loosen up, but Idriss's words played over and over again in his head. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Eliott.

"Hey, are you alright? Did Idriss say something to you? I'll kick his ass if he did."

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "No, no, everything's cool."

"Look...don't worry about anything." Eliott grabbed his face in his hands. "We have tonight...it's enough."

Lucas knew Eliott didn't know his big secret, wouldn't believe him even if he told him, but for one second it seemed as if he knew something, knew that Lucas wasn't just returning to Paris. Lucas offered a smile and nodded in agreement.

"Ok, then, let's rock out!" Eliott exclaimed.

Eliott dragged him to his feet and before he knew it, the worries, if not gone, settled to the back of his mind. Even Idriss began to loosen up, and they all danced and partied together to the music as the bright lights splashed across the patrons and the deep bass thumped in their veins. When Eliott reached down to kiss him, he returned the kiss without hesitation. The night seemed filled with magic, and he felt lit up from within, and then Eliott wrapped his arms around him from behind and held him close as they swayed to the tempo of the beat.

****

The concert was a success and some of the performers, agents, and their close friends celebrated afterward at a large mansion near the ocean. The smell of Aquanet, cigarettes, and expensive perfume all mixed together as some of the band members played songs on a makeshift stage.

The people drank, mingled and partied. Eliott was invited to play bass on the stage with some of the members of Venus Falling. Lucas was mesmerized as he watched him play the guitar, his long hair falling in his face as his long fingers stroked the strings of the guitar like a long, lost lover. After he played a few songs, he beckoned for Lucas to join them on drums, and Lucas reluctantly obliged, playing a couple of sets as people cheered and laughed. 

"Wow, that was fun...you're really good," Eliott said after they exited the stage to grab a drink from the kitchen.

"Yeah, that was fun!" Lucas felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. "I haven't played drums like that in some time. It's a completely different feeling to play alongside a real band."

"Yeah, it's a sort of high," Eliott agreed. "Hey, I thought I saw Michael head upstairs earlier. Let's see if I can get you that meeting before the night gets long and he can't string sentences together."

"Ok, great." Lucas hoped Michael still had the book with him. He had to leave tomorrow morning and was running out of time.

He followed Eliott upstairs. They passed by Idriss who was heading back down. "The girls up there are wild, man. I'm going to get more drinks."

Eliott raised a brow and Idriss shrugged as he took two steps at a time back down to the main floor.

The real party seemed to be upstairs, but it wasn't a party either of them was interested in. They looked in several rooms, a few of them were occupied with people getting into all sorts of questionable activities until they opened one with a large bed and dresser. It appeared empty, but Lucas noticed a velvet bag on the dresser.

"Isn't that Michael's book?"

Eliott looked toward the dresser. "I think so." He looked around the room and noticed another door on the other side of the room. Eliott walked over and opened the door with Lucas following closely behind him. They stopped short and tried to retreat when they saw that Michael was in the bathroom with a leggy blonde.

"Hey! Eliott!" Michael shouted. There were lines of white powder on the marble counter, and the blonde's skirt was hitched up around her waist. Michael quickly fixed his clothes as the blonde let out a small screech and ran into a closet at the rear of the bathroom.

Eliott and Lucas apologized profusely as they exited the bathroom with Michael close on their heels.

"Hey, do you guys want to join the party?"

"Umm, no thank you, Michael,” Eliott stuttered, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I was just trying to introduce you to Lucas. I told you about him earlier."

Michael looked over at Lucas bewildered before recognition dawned in his eyes. "Oh, yeah, you pointed him out at the concert. You're the writer. Gonna get me a feature, huh? I'm the real deal, ya know...but, let me get my friend here sorted out, and I'll hook up with you two later."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Lucas stammered. "We can talk later. It was nice meeting you."

Michael nodded, and then returned to the bathroom. They heard the lock click behind him.

Eliott grabbed Lucas by the hand and quickly ushered him out of the room. He was barely holding it together, and when they finally made it back to the hallway, they both doubled over in laughter.

"Shit, that was awful," Eliott finally wheezed out.

"I'm sorry...I feel responsible."

"No, no, it's the story of my life. Maybe you can talk to someone else...I'm not sure you'll be able to get anything useful out of Michael anytime soon."

"No problem, and thank you for helping me. I have what I need." Lucas paused, stealing a glance back to the open door of the bedroom. "I’m feeling a little tired after that jam session, though. I think I’m getting another cramp...not...not as bad as last night," he quickly assured Eliott, "but do you mind getting me some cold water?"

Eliott quickly sobered, "Are you sure you don't want to come back downstairs?"

"No, just let me rest here a bit.”

Eliott looked at him, worry in his eyes. Lucas hated lying to him, but desperate times called for desperation. He watched as Eliott left to go back downstairs before quickly returning to the room. Thankfully, Michael was still in the bathroom. He walked to the dresser and was about to grab the velvet bag containing the book when the bathroom door opened. The blonde exited the bathroom laughing hysterically as Michael tried to kiss her. They stopped short when they saw Lucas with his hand on the bag.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked.

"What's going on?" Eliott had returned and was standing behind him. He was breathing hard as if he had ran to get the water, probably concerned about a repeat of the night before.

"Umm, I thought I would just lay on the bed and rest...sorry to disturb you, again."

"Oh, no problem, my friend. Heather and I were just finishing up. You guys are free to use the room." Michael wiggled his eyebrows at Eliott before grabbing his velvet bag with the book inside and exiting the room.

Eliott was staring at him strangely. A few seconds passed before he spoke again. "Here's your water." He handed him the bottle, and Lucas took a few sips."Are you still cramping?"

"No, I'm better. Thank you for the water."

"Uh, huh." Lucas thought he would say more, but Eliott only gave a small smile before stepping forward to embrace him. "Let's get out of here. You leave tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah." Lucas frowned, thinking about how hard it would be to leave him.

"Do you need me to take you to the airport?”

"No, my people took care of that."

Eliott was still looking at him strangely. "Well, alright then. We only have a few hours until dawn. Let's make the most of them."

They said their goodbyes to a few of the band members and to Idriss, who was not ready to leave the party just yet, before catching a cab to Eliott's apartment.

Eliott didn't say a word when they entered his home, just started kissing and undressing him.

Lucas wanted to give in, let go and live in the moment, but reason and Idriss's words played a mad song in his head. "Eliott...I want to do this, but I can't make any promises. I hope you know I want to be with you...I want to see where this will go, but it's complicated."

Eliott stopped, stared into his eyes. "Lucas, whatever is meant to be will be. Ok? I'm a grown, consenting adult. I want to be with you if you want me...right now...just for tonight if that’s all you can give."

Lucas nodded, saw the longing and vulnerability in Eliott’s blue eyes, and couldn’t hold back any longer. They came together again, pulling clothes off each other as they kissed in a mad, passionate tangle of clothing and limbs toward Eliott's bedroom. They kissed and made love until sunlight streamed through the windows and sleep finally took them as they lay in each other's arms.

A couple of hours later, Lucas jerked awake, cursing. Shit! He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He glanced over at Eliott's sleeping form. He hadn’t been able to get the book, so he would have to return, but it would be to the exact same time as before. Eliott would not remember any of this, and maybe that was for the best.

He kissed him on his temple; Eliott stirred but didn't wake. "I love you, Eliott," he whispered before slowly leaving the bed and then the room. He grabbed his clothes, leaving Eliott's in the hamper, along with his travel suit. He walked out the door, not looking back, and headed to the beach, his heart breaking with every step he took away from Eliott.

There were not many people out that early, but a shirtless man with a long, gray beard and wearing dirty tan shorts sat on the cement steps leading from the street to the beach area.

"You can have your freedom, but you'll have to pay the bondsman!" he yelled as Lucas walked by. Lucas nodded at him and continued on his way.

He put on the suit and stood in the water, hoping no one saw him and freaked out. He had a small window in which to return. He checked the small screen in the helmet...he only had a few minutes to spare. He touched a few items on the screen that flashed across his vision and said a small prayer. "Here goes nothing." 


	5. The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News (1985)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's do this, again - Be kind, please rewind.
> 
> ***Warning***: This chapter contains an accident, blood and rush to ER, everything turns out fine, but it may be intense for some.
> 
> Don't need money, don't take fame  
Don't need no credit card to ride this train  
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes  
But it might just save your life  
That's the power of love  
That's the power of love
> 
> First time you feed it might make you sad  
Next time you feed it might make you mad  
But you'll be glad baby when you've found  
That's the power that makes the world go round
> 
> -Huey Lewis and the News, 1985

**Present Day**

“Lucas, Lucas!" Imane's voice was muffled as if underwater; her face slowly came into focus. "Sorry, you were out cold, so I stripped you of the suit." She hugged him tightly. "I'm so happy you're back."

Lucas looked around, taking in the workshop with its wires and boxes, the smell of metallic and electronic things in the air. He sighed in relief; he was back in Imane's garage. "What day is it?" he croaked out.

"I calibrated the algorithm to follow the same time-lapse, so it's two days after you left. We could change that later once I can decipher the book and understand more about time travel. I mean, theoretically, I could bring you back to the time you left, so you don't miss anything here."

Lucas sat up but still felt woozy. "About that...I didn't get the book."

Imane didn't seem disappointed in the news. "That's ok, we knew it would be a longshot. Honestly, I'm just glad you're back and seemingly in one piece." She hugged him again and he returned the hug. She smelled of vanilla and apples. She always smelled good, like fresh linen and soap, but this was different.

"You smell nice,” he murmured.

Lucas noticed the quick small smile that tugged at her pretty, brown face before she smoothed her hijab over her left cheek. "Hmmm," she said. “Thank you.”

He didn't push, figured the new perfume (and the more meticulously applied makeup?) had something to do with the good professor. 

She offered her hand to Lucas and he grasped it firmly in his own before she tugged him off the ground. 

"I'm famished."

"I figured you would be." Imane walked back to her workstation and nodded toward the large wooden worktable in the middle of the garage. "I have your favorites over there waiting for you. But go slowly, ok?"

Lucas nodded and shuffled over to the table. He hoped the food would help with the lightheadedness. The journey back had been less eventful than the one there, but he’d still seen those..._things_ on the trip back and was relieved that he no longer felt their presence around him. He sat down, the comforting smells of burgers and french fries from his favorite shop wafting in the air. 

Imane stared expectantly at him as he ate. "So, how did it go?"

"Perfect...well, better than expected since honestly I expected to either remain in that box or explode. And I think I can get the book, but we'll need a decoy."

"That's amazing news, so you want to go back?"

Lucas nodded, thinking of Eliott. "I'll have to make some changes to the suit," he muttered as he took a bite of his burger. "I almost drowned on landing."

Imane put her hands up to her mouth. "Oh, no, you landed in the water?"

"Yeah, the Pacific fucking Ocean."

Imane frowned. "I don't want to muck up the coordinates, so yeah, we'll have to tinker with the suit." She paused before speaking. "And what else happened? You look...wistful...sad."

Lucas swallowed his bite of burger and grabbed a handful of fries. He stuffed them in his mouth and chewed slowly, feeling Imane's eyes on him. He kept his head down, concentrated on the food in front of him before mumbling, “And...I think I fell in love."

The helmet Imane was holding in her hands clanged on the metal cart as she dropped it. "You, what? In two days, Lucas?" she asked incredulously.

Lucas shook his head, "I know, I know...it's ridiculous," he groaned. He looked up at her, finally able to meet her eyes. "But I think it's true."

Imane sighed. "What's his name?" She walked over to sit beside him.

"Eliott. He saved me...from drowning. You know when we talked about forces that might hinder us, forces intent on keeping the status quo, the balance...?”

Imane shook her head, cutting him off, "We can't humor that kind of thinking; it gets in the way of science...the facts."

"But what about your faith?"

"I feel like that's different." She looked at him, her gaze faltering as if she didn't believe her own words. "Ok, ok, you've got a point; I just don't want to think of it in the context of what we’re doing, or I might convince myself to stop this, and I think, if we do this right, we can do way more good than harm."

"I don't know if any human is capable of not messing this up...but those forces I was talking about, I felt them, some threatening, some neutral, but none affecting the mission in any real way, except when it came to Eliott; it's as if I was meant to meet him."

"Well, some say the greatest force of all is love." Imane scrunched her mouth as if chewing on a thought. "I wonder if he's alive in this timeline? It would be a way to test the different theories, huh?"

"It would be good for science but not for love. He would be knocking on sixty - almost forty years older than me."

"Yeah," Imane sighed.

"And I mean, 10 years is doable," he paused, gave Imane a pointed look. Her blush let him know she was thinking about the professor. "But 40 years? I mean Eliott is daddy material, but that big of an age gap would give an entirely different meaning to the word ‘daddy’.”

Imane playfully punched him. "Alright, Lucas, too far," but she was smiling.

Lucas laughed. It felt good to be home, although he felt like he had left a part of it in 1985. She looked over at him, a small smile on her face as if she were reading his thoughts. 

She patted his leg before standing up and walking to the bank of computers and servers. “So...if you’re up to it, I was thinking we take advantage of our term break and run again in two days.”

“I forgot to tell you something...I cramped really badly the first night there.”

“Cramps?” Imane turned back to face him.

“Yeah, arms, legs...pretty much all over. It only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like I was dying...and there were weird dreams of strange creatures, both while traveling and sleeping.” Lucas shivered remembering the mucus-filled mouths of the spider things. “I could feel their presence even when awake.”

Imane scrunched her face in concern as Lucas told her about his experience. She walked back to the table to sit near him. He gave her the full story, well most of it, and by the end, she was shaking her head in wonder.

“Wow, that was both scary and amazing, Lucas. You're really brave for doing this. I want you to type everything in your journal as soon as you're rested, while it's still fresh in your mind. I'll come up with something for the cramps...and the nightmares." Lucas nodded while Imane continued speaking, seemingly deep in thought, "And there's something I need to run by Professor Alaoui."

"Ooh, the professor," Lucas half-heartedly teased; he was too tired and weary to do much more than that.

"Shut up," Imane said shyly as she gently nudged him with her shoulder. She gave a small frown before putting her arm around him in a quick hug. "It'll be ok."

"Hey, bitches!" Lucas and Imane jumped as Imane's roommate and their friend, Manon, opened and poked her head in the door leading to the house. "You're back from visiting...where did you go, Lucas?" She plopped down on the small bench across from them.

"He had to go to Chartres to pick up some stuff for our project," Imane replied quickly.

Manon moved to sit on Lucas's other side. "Oooh, you're a little smelly and sweaty, but bring it in," she said, wrinkling her nose as she engulfed him in a tight hug. She smelled like a fresh winter morning, brisk and expensive. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, her dark red lipstick not smudging a bit. She was known for her beauty — her pale skin, and pointed, dainty features befitting her warm, intelligent personality.

She and Imane had gotten him through some rough patches in his dating life, and he had done the same for them. He wanted to share the news about Eliott with her but didn't want to get caught in a lie. She knew they were working on a science project but didn't know anything about their recent breakthrough.

Manon turned her attention to Lucas's travel suit still lying on the ground near the box. "I really want to know the details of this project you two have been working on. I've been feeling a little left out," she pouted. "You've spent months working on it, and all I know is that it has something to do with wormholes."

Imane shot a quick glance at Lucas. They had talked about sharing the news with her. At first, they hadn't because they thought it was so far-fetched and ridiculous they wanted to make sure it was viable. Then, it just became a mutual decision to keep it between the two of them; they figured once you started expanding the circle of those who knew, it would get harder and harder to control the sharing of information, no matter how well you trusted the people involved. They had finally decided they would tell her when they had the book in hand and a better idea of the direction they were taking the project.

"We're almost nearing the final stages and will be ready to share soon," Imane promised.

Manon smiled and nodded; Lucas knew she was too classy to push any further. "Anyway," Manon finally continued, “my visit to the States to see Charles went well. We're trying to navigate this distant relationship thing; it seems the key is to make the most of the time you can spend together."

Lucas looked over at Manon and smiled; she had no idea. Eliott’s face flashed before him, a sharp pain shot through his chest, almost brought tears to his eyes, caused his smile to falter.

"I'm so happy you got to spend time with Charles. I hope you guys figure something out soon." Imane placed a gentle hand on Lucas's thigh. "Manon, you're a great researcher. We’re working on some historical references for our science project and could use your expertise. Could you help us track someone down...he should be in his late 50s?"

Lucas looked over at Imane, quirked his brow, what was she getting at? Manon was a research assistant for a renown languages professor who specialized in literary forensics. 

Manon rubbed her hands together. "Oooh, you two are inviting me to be a part of your top-secret project?" She looked between the two of them, her eyes bright with excitement, her words hushed and eager.

Imane and Lucas laughed. "Yes, we are. So, this person we're searching for spent most of his life in the States, in California, but he was born here in Paris," Imane looked over at Lucas for confirmation. 

Lucas nodded in agreement and turned to face Manon. "He may have been heavy in the American rock music scene of the '80s," he added.

Manon poked out her bottom lip in thought, "Yeah...if they were born here, that'll make it easier for me to track them down. It would help if you have a full birth name and know of any identifying marks. Let me go grab my laptop, and I'll take some notes. Be right back." Manon gave a little excited shriek as she ran back into the house.

"I guess it's worth a shot," Lucas shrugged. "And thanks...it's good to know either way."

"I thought so. Even if it's just for...research purposes."

"Yeah," Lucas sighed.

"Well, I'll start working on setting up for the next trip. After you speak with Manon, you should start working on the suit modifications."

Lucas nodded and stretched. Two days and he could see Eliott again, although Eliott wouldn't remember him...just two more days.

***

The following afternoon he stopped by Imane's to continue work on the suit, but she was visiting her mother and had taken the suit with her. Manon sat in the dark on the couch, covers pulled up around her neck. She was watching television, but the volume was so low, Lucas knew she wasn't following whatever was playing on the screen. Images from the television flashed across her eyes, and it looked like she had been crying.

"Hey," Lucas said quietly. Manon startled, a small smile etched her face but didn't quite reach her eyes. She quickly reached up to wipe them with the sleeve of her sweater. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, just me being silly," she sighed. Lucas sat on the couch beside her, pushed his shoes off and pushed them under the table, pulled his feet up under him as he grabbed a piece of the blanket from her. "It's this whole long-distance thing," Manon continued. "I don't know how people do it. You just want to touch that person, kiss them, just...hell...look at them, and it's not the same as talking to them on the phone, or even on video or Facetime."

Lucas nodded. "I get it."

"You do?"

Lucas turned to face her. "Yeah, I get it."

Manon studied him for a minute. “Hmm...seems like you do." She reached over to the side table and grabbed her laptop. "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you about what I found so far on our little research project. I'm so glad you guys asked me to help, it kinda kept my mind off everything else."

Lucas looked over as she opened the laptop and tapped in her password. "So you found Eliott?" Lucas had given her all the information he had been able to remember from the trip. 

"Well...not exactly, but I found something." She opened a file on her home screen, which contained documents and pictures. "I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm good, so if he can be found, I'll find him. It would help if you could share the reason for the search, but I wanted to show you what I was able to find."

She turned the laptop to face him. The file contained several pictures, some of a young girl, some of a young woman in her 20's and 30's, and then what Lucas presumed were more recent pictures of the same woman. She looked to be about in her 50's.

"So, I wanted to know if you guys were certain your subject was a guy and if you knew his or her parents' names."

Lucas felt his heart sink. That face...there was a picture of her from when she was in her twenties -- bangs fluffed and spritzed to the ceiling, hair permed and dyed blonde -- but even under the purple and green eye shadow and caked-on mascara, he recognized Eliott's eyes.

"Looks like she moved to California when she was young and dabbled in singing and acting, had a little fame as a rock groupie and then as the lead in her own grunge band...even had a small role on 90210, and the name is close -- Elisa Demaury-Sooner. Seems she struggled a little with some mental health issues and drug use when she was young, but she met and married...let's see, an Axel Sooner, had a couple of kids and is now a retired art teacher. Pretty sweet life, huh?"

Manon handed the laptop to Lucas so he could peruse the files and study the pictures. He would have to speak to Imane about his theory, but it seemed that Eliott was a woman in their timeline. He was crestfallen. He closed the documents and folder and handed the laptop back to Manon.

"Thank you for looking into this...I'll share the findings with Imane." 

"Anytime, I can't wait until you can share what this is all about." Lucas sucked in his lips and gave a sympathetic frown. Manon put her hands up in mock defense, "I know, I know, you’ll tell me in due time."

She closed the laptop and put it back on the side table and turned back to stare at the near-silent tv. Several minutes passed. There was some reality show playing and someone threw a drink on someone else. Lucas turned to see silent tears fall from Manon's eyes. He put his arm out and she cuddled close to his side. She couldn't see his face as it crumpled and his own silent tears came unbidden. They sat like that for a long while, both lost in their own thoughts, both thinking about the person they wanted to be with the most.

***

One day later and it was "go" time. The suit had been updated with a few enhancements, including an apparatus for Lucas to breathe comfortably through when he landed in the water. Imane had also had her mother update it so it was more of a diving suit that he could step into. Lucas admitted it looked a little more hip and not like a billowing, foil oven bag. 

"Remember, drink about two cups of orange juice each day and don't take the depressant -- that should help with the cramps and dreams, but we'll see...sorry...we're working from guesses and theories, here." They had spoken about Elisa the day before and had both agreed it was for the best since it wasn't possible for them to be together in any real way in their timeline. "One more thing," Imane continued, “based on how you explained your meeting with Eliott...you're gonna have to sell almost drowning."

"The water was shallow enough...although I didn't realize that at first, so yeah, I’ll have to sell it."

"Well, see if you can stay alert during travel. We added the music, so that should help because you're going to have to flop as soon as you land. Eliott's your ticket into the concert and to the book, right?"

"Yeah," Lucas admitted.

Lucas had debated not involving Eliott, even though it made his heart hurt to think of not spending even a couple more days with him. He felt like it wasn't right; there was something morally questionable about it -- returning to the same time again, Eliott not knowing what had transpired the time before and being unaware of the connection they'd had...and then possibly reconnecting only for Lucas to have to leave, and for good this time.

Lucas would be wearing a small backpack under the suit. The bag contained a set of clothes and a couple of other items he decided he needed this time around. It also contained a book in a velvet bag. The book was crudely made and wouldn't pass muster under close inspection, but it appeared to be the same size and weight of the book Lucas saw Michael carrying and had a crudely drawn pentagram on the cover.

Imane took a deep breath. "You don't have to do this again, Lucas. We can figure out another way. I haven't given up trying to track the book down in this timeline."

Lucas _had_ debated not involving Eliott, but call it selfish or even something worse, he knew he had to see him again, touch him again. "No, I want to do this."

"Everything went so well last time...considering. I'm sorry I have to send you to the exact same time...I don't want to make a mistake. I mean I could try, but you might end up in a different timeline or the dinosaur age or something."

"Don't joke, Imane," Lucas teased. "I'll be ok...it's like...it's like...destiny or something."

Imane nodded and turned to the bank of computers at her work station. "Alright, everything looks good here. We're about an hour away from take-off, you can start checking your suit and helmet.”

They said their goodbyes and hugged before Lucas stepped into the box.

"T-minus 60 seconds," Imane said through the speaker. Lucas closed his eyes and focused on the song playing in his headset; it was a love song from the '80s.

**1985**

There were no creatures this time, but there was a post-apocalyptic wasteland, then a busy city he had never seen before, then the calm nothingness he had experienced the first time, he was dreaming but more aware this time, and was ready for the landing; he stuck it, pulled air through the apparatus, and started flapping wildly. Sunlight, beach, and then...Eliott’s eyes. When he saw his face, he felt like he could breathe again, like he hadn't really had a full breath in two days. His heart finally settled.

He tried to have the same conversation with Eliott on the beach but it meandered in ways he couldn't control. The use of one different word, sending the course of their conversation in new, unexpected directions, but the warmth and connection were still there, the timid smiles, the playful jokes were still there. His stomach growled and Eliott invited him for a bite to eat instead of to his home for pizza. Lucas sat in the diner listening to conversations, studied each person closely. The biggest difference was the lack of smartphones, it made Lucas smile to see people interact with each other more.

"You like to people watch, huh?" Eliott asked.

Lucas snapped to. "It's cool, yeah. And America is different, you know."

"Yeah, it is, but there are things I love about California and there are things I love about Paris. The love is different but equal."

"I get that," Lucas said.

They talked for hours and Lucas confirmed that Eliott's parents' names matched those of Elisa. He was able to glean more personal information to compare with what Manon had found, although it just made him sadder to think about it.

"Where did you go?" Eliott asked. Lucas turned to face Eliott and gave a small smile.

"Just wishing I had more time here. Two days is not enough."

"Yeah.” Eliott looked down and took a bite of his burger. "Are you staying somewhere near here?"

This was the question he hadn't asked on the beach. "I'm going to find somewhere close."

"Well, I hope you're not a serial killer, but since you're going to the concert with me, it may save you some time to just crash at my place. You're only here for another day, and I have a spare room."

Lucas smiled. "Are you sure? I'd like that if it's not an inconvenience for you."

"No inconvenience at all."

"Ok, yeah. Do you want to grab a movie? Scarface, maybe?”

He had ordered orange juice at the restaurant and drank the two glasses Imane had recommended. Later that night, in Eliott's spare bedroom, Lucas slept, but the spider monsters and quasi-humans returned. He woke up in a cold sweat and looked around the semi-dark room. The television was still on -- it had been off the first time -- and an off-broadcast color wheel was displayed on the screen. 

He waited for Eliott to enter and remembered he had screamed from the cramps, not the nightmares. The fucking orange juice had worked for those it seemed. He tried to scream but felt so silly and manipulative doing it that he was only able to let out a small, half-hearted squeak. He flopped back against the pillow...both need and apprehension warring inside him. Maybe it was for the best to not get so involved with Eliott. He tried to go back to sleep, but could only toss and turn for the rest of the night.

The concert was fun, except there was none of the kissing and holding. They flirted and danced, but that was about it. He met Idriss, but the awkward conversation between them didn't happen. Later at the party, Eliott played the guitar but didn't ask Lucas to join him on stage -- had Lucas even mentioned he played drums? He couldn't recall, the conversations of the time before mixing in his mind with the conversations of this time. He enjoyed watching him play, the same emotions stirred within him, but this time he had to be ready to get the book. While Eliott played the last song, Lucas turned his attention to finding Michael. He spotted him in a corner talking to Heather.

He followed them until they finally headed upstairs. He noticed Michael was carrying the book and saw them walk towards the bedroom at the end of the hall. He made it to the last step and was pulling the decoy book out of his backpack when someone yelled his name from downstairs, the voice was urgent and on the verge of panic. It was Idriss. "Hey, Lucas, we have to go! Eliott's hurt."

"What happened?" Lucas quickly galloped down the steps, the book gone from his thoughts.

"He took something," Idriss said hurriedly. "He's by the door, his arm is cut up pretty badly, he fell through a glass table."

Lucas's heart went to this throat when he saw Eliott sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall near the door. There were a few people around him and someone had grabbed towels to staunch the flow of blood, and there was so much blood. He pushed past a couple of people and knelt beside him. His face was clammy and his usually bright eyes had dimmed to a dull gray.

"We didn't call an ambulance, can you guys take him to the hospital?" The agent who owned the house looked more worried about the blood messing up his carpet and wall, as he dabbed a spot with a wet towel.

"Yeah, we got it," Lucas snapped, as he and Idriss helped Eliott up.

A few of the other roadies helped them get Eliott to Idriss's car. Lucas held the towels to Eliott's arm as they raced through the city streets. Idriss finally pulled up to the front of the emergency center doors, he barely put the car in park before running inside to get help. 

The blood was still flowing, and Lucas felt like he was standing on the edge of a precipice, his heart was beating wildly in his chest and his hands were shaking badly. All he could do was repeat Eliott's name over and over again. It seemed like he was losing too much blood, but that meant no waiting, and nurses and staff quickly brought out a bed to roll Eliott into the hospital. Eliott had passed out on the way there and had not come to. Lucas felt tears prick his eyes and looked over to see Idriss standing helplessly on the curb, his eyes were red-rimmed and filled with fear. 

"What happened?" Lucas asked.

"He took...a pill or something. He...ummm...wanted to loosen up. It usually wouldn't be a big deal, but he's been feeling different lately, and he's..." Idriss trailed off. "Anyway, he got agitated and got into an argument with someone...and before I knew what was happening, he was through the glass table. The guy he was arguing with didn't push him...Eliott just sort of fell out." 

"Shit!" Lucas ran his hands roughly through his hair. "Why in the hell would he take a pill to loosen up?"

"He said he couldn't seem to find the words...to talk to you."

"We've been talking since we met."

Idriss sighed, stared into his eyes, seemed to test the words he wanted to say in his mouth, working them in his jaws, finally spitting them out before he could change his mind. "_Really_ talk to you. He said he felt like you were feeling him like he was feeling you, but that there was a wall up...from your side. He figured it was because you were leaving tomorrow, and I don't know...I guess that fucked him up. Fuck! You guys just fucking met." Idriss paced back and forth. "He usually doesn't let people in that easily."

Lucas frowned, it seemed in trying to keep his distance, he had actually made things worse.

“Anyway, I'll go park the car, you go check on his status."

A couple of hours later and they were allowed to see him. He had been bandaged up and was now awake, an IV in his arm. Idriss hugged him for a long time before pulling back. He told them he was going to get something from the vending machine and left them to talk.

"I'm so embarrassed, Lucas. I'm sorry about ruining your night and your assignment."

"Don't worry about it. It's not important...you're important, and you didn't ruin my night or assignment."

A youngish doctor with short spiky hair and wearing blue framed glasses softly rapped on the door before walking in. He looked at Eliott and then to Lucas. “Can he stay while I talk to you?"

Eliott paused, looked over at Lucas and then nodded, "He can stay."

The doctor pulled up a chair to sit beside Eliott.

"You're going to be fine, the stitches will need to be checked in a few days, but as long as you take your antibiotics, you’ll be ok. And I think I don't have to say this, you shouldn't be using any kind of unprescribed medicine...it's stupid but especially stupid given your condition."

Eliott nodded, a chagrined frown upon his sallow face. "I know."

"I want to make sure you see your therapist this week and your primary care doctor, but you're free to go tonight. I'll expedite your release and you'll be ready to go in less than an hour.”

"Thanks, doc," Eliott said quietly.

The doctor gave him a small smile before nodding at Lucas and leaving the room.

Condition? What condition? Lucas didn't want to pry if Eliott didn't want to share, but it meant a lot that he let him remain in the room.

Eliott finally looked up. "So...I have bipolar disorder. I didn't think it was important to tell you since you're leaving anyway, but the doc was right, it was stupid of me to take that pill. I smoke weed occasionally but rarely do more than that, but I've been feeling a little...off...lately. That was why I was at the beach so early the other day." He paused, looked out the window into the dark night. "I've been a little meditative lately, I've been feeling restless...like...I have this profound desire to experience something I can't name." He looked over at Lucas, again. "I know that sounds weird."

"No, I get it, and weird's ok."

Eliott chuckled. "Well, it's interesting how you popped in the water during my existential crisis...literally from out of nowhere."

Lucas gave a soft smile. "Yeah, interesting." Lucas walked over to grab his hand. "I really like you, Eliott. I wish I had more time to really get to know you."

Eliott's eyes darkened. "Idriss said something to you?"

"A little...not a lot, and I do feel like there’s something really special between us...the timing’s just wrong.”

"Shit...he told you a lot."

Lucas pulled his lips in, shook his head. "I'm glad he did. I did put a wall up because I was afraid."

"We could meet up again, try to keep in touch."

"Long-distance relationships can be good, but they can also be very painful," Lucas sighed. 

He knew theirs would be impossible or very complicated, even if Imane could figure something out. It could be years before she did, and he didn’t want to put Eliott through this again, even if he didn’t remember it, even if theoretically, it never happened when he returned. Eliott slowly nodded. "Are you going to be ok? Do you need to get help?"

"I take meds and have a therapist. I don't see her until next week, but I'll call tomorrow to see if I can get in sooner. I'll be ok, Lucas, it's not your bag. We're basically strangers."

Lucas grabbed his hand. "I don't feel like that. I feel like I've known you forever...or at least for 96 hours."

Eliott frowned, confused, but then smiled and it was a smile that finally reached his eyes, which were bright again. "I feel like I've known you much longer, too, like I met you before yesterday. I had a sense of déjà vu when I saw you on the beach...and no matter what happens, I'm glad I met you."

Idriss finally returned with snacks, and an hour later they all were piling in the car and heading toward Eliott's. Idriss asked if Eliott needed him to stay, but Eliott thanked him for everything and told him he would call him first thing in the morning.

After they said their goodbyes to Idriss, Lucas helped Eliott to his bedroom. "Can I lay with you for a little while? Those pain meds seem to be working pretty quickly." Eliott looked like he was about to fall over from exhaustion. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing Lucas. “I may be gone before you wake, but if I can figure out a way to see you again, I will,” Lucas promised.

Imane had said they might have one more chance at this. He would have to talk to her, figure out another way to get the book without involving Eliott on his last go-round. He wished he had more time, felt teased and cheated by fate.

"You don't have to do that, Lucas. I’ll be ok, you don't have to watch over me."

"That's not why...I don't think I need to watch over you. I just want to spend the little time I have left here near you. But if it's not ok with you-”

"No, no," Eliott quickly cut him off. "I'd like that.” Eliott looked up at him shyly. "C'mon."

He held out his unbandaged hand and Lucas grabbed it, paused. The corner of Eliott’s mouth lifted and Lucas looked at his lips, then back to his eyes, which had gone soft. He moved to stand between Eliott’s legs, dropped his hand beside him. Eliott reached up to grab Lucas’s face and pull him down. The fire was there when their lips met, but this was a low, soft burn, deep and filling. Lucas wanted more, but he could see Eliott was bone weary. He pulled back and kissed him softly on his forehead. He helped him undress down to his boxers, placed light, butterfly kisses on his face and neck and then right above his heart. He kissed his bandaged hand and arm before ushering him under the covers to rest.

Lucas watched him as he lay down and fell into a deep sleep a few minutes later. His long hair had fallen into his eyes, and Lucas gently pushed it back, so he could see the moonlight upon his face, his long lashes against his sharp cheekbones, his lips, slightly parted. He stayed like that for almost an hour, just looking at him, until dawn broke lightly upon the sleeping city. He placed a kiss upon Eliott's temple and whispered against his ear.

But this time, Eliott stirred and seemed to wake. "I love you, too, Lucas," he sighed.

Lucas stilled, but when he looked down, Eliott was snoring softly, again. Had he heard him right? It didn't matter, and he didn't think his heart could feel any heavier, but knowing that he wouldn't see him again the next time made this time around so much worse.

He grabbed his items and stuffed them into his backpack, left the house and didn't turn back around. It was still too early to head back to his time, so he sat on the sand and stared out at the water before laying his head on his backpack and taking a fitful nap.

"What are you doing?"

He snapped awake at the sound of the gravelly voice. Shit, he'd forgotten to set the timer on his watch. He checked the time and noticed he had about twenty minutes to spare.

He looked over and saw the old man he had seen on his first trip. He was sitting just a few feet away from him looking out upon the water. He didn't wait on Lucas's answer before asking another question. "Did you pay the bondsman?”

Lucas was tired, spent and heartsore. He decided to humor him. "How much will I have to pay?" he asked.

The man chuckled and turned to face him, his eyes, which Lucas had not really noticed before were so familiar...disturbingly so. The man laughed, breaking Lucas’s train of thought, "It’ll cost ya just about everything...just about everything, kiddo...but there’s a piece they can never take...that piece is not for sale."

He stood up and dusted his pants off, then nodded and turned to walk away. Lucas narrowed his eyes. He was small in stature and so, so familiar. After a few steps, he turned back to look at Lucas, "Oh, and watch that last turn, all you have to do is think of the person who holds your heart...it'll help." 


	6. I Melt With You - Modern English (1982)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas must make a choice - back to the future or a future with Eliott?
> 
> ***Warning***: Brief mention of real tragic events in recent history.
> 
> Dream of better lives the kind which never hates  
(You should see why)  
Trapped in the state of imaginary grace  
(You should know better)  
I made a pilgrimage to save this humans race  
(You should see why)  
Never comprehending the race has long gone bye
> 
> I'll stop the world and melt with you  
(Let's stop the world) You've seen the difference and it's getting better all  
the time  
(Let's stop the world) There's nothing you and I won't do  
(Let's stop the world) I'll stop the world and melt with you
> 
> The future's open wide
> 
> The future's open wide
> 
> -Modern English, 1982

**Present Day **

So, here’s the thing. Lucas knew what he was doing was dangerous, but it had felt so unreal, he had just gone with it, adapted, expanded his mind to accept the unbelievable. There had been moments during the past week in which he had considered a number of different scenarios: he was having a very lucid dream, he was in a mental ward, trapped in his own dreamscape, he was on a really long acid trip, although he had never done hard drugs. And although he had joked about it occasionally with Imane, and had even considered it when he unexpectantly landed in the ocean, he didn't really believe he could actually die...that was until the trip back.

The spider things became aggressive, closed in on him, surrounded him in a cacophony of incessantly loud whispers and chittering. They pushed and prodded until he sensed he had been pushed off course. If there had been a path, he assumed it was one of the mind, and he had lost his internal compass somewhere along the way. He felt actual pain on this return trip, his limbs crushed and pulled, a human taffy flung through space and time. He thought he would die from the pain, or if not die, be trapped forever in a neverending inward journey of terror and fear. His life flashed before his eyes, sepia-toned memories of happier times when he was younger, when his mother, while still given to her moods, had not yet pulled all the way within herself, and his dad had been hopeful and present. He thought of his friends and the home they had made together, made for themselves, and then he thought of Eliott.

And for a moment, he could see it clearly, the meaning of it all. It was almost in his grasp, like a word on the tip of his tongue that would not come but of which he could taste its essence. It was the nectar of the gods, sweet and filling, one drop could sustain you for a lifetime, possibly multiple lifetimes, and then that elusive answer was gone, but Lucas was left with one immutable idea -- his salvation, his answer was wrapped up in Eliott.

A vision of the old man on the beach appeared before him, his eyes, blue like sapphire, so clear even though he had to be of great age...and so familiar, his mother’s eyes? No, no that wasn’t quite right, but close. Lucas’s eyes...they were _his_ eyes. The gravel-voiced warning reverberated in his head, a few minutes before just the crazy ramblings of an old man, now his saving grace. He concentrated and thought of the one who held his heart. The monsters and the pain retreated, and he was suddenly thrust into _The_ _Calm_ — it was the name he had given the place of indescribable peace and contentment. "Eliott," he whispered before everything went black. 

Imane was waiting for him when he awoke, worry furrowing her brow. They didn't speak much and she didn't ask about his trip, sensing that he was not ready to speak just yet. He didn't have much of an appetite, so Imane and Manon finished off the pizza and milkshake she had brought for him while he showered and then napped on the couch. He slept all day and night and then into the following day, only rising to eat a bit of leftover pizza and use the restroom. 

On the second day, he was finally able to sit up. Imane and Manon were sitting on the floor, backs up against the couch. They were watching a crime drama on the television.

"Hey," he said, groggily.

They stood up and sat beside him, both hugging him.

"I had to tell her," Imane whispered in his ear.

Lucas nodded. A soft "ok" was all he could manage as a reply.

They let him sit for a few minutes before Imane left for the kitchen and returned with a bowl of spaghetti. "You haven't eaten much since you got back, and you need to eat something. I stopped by your dorm room, and Yann and Arthur sent you some clothes and toiletries. I didn't tell them much, only that you were back from holiday and hanging out here. They wanted to stop by, but I told them we were finishing up our science project and would try to get everyone who returned from break together for a little party."

"That would be nice," Lucas said. He turned to face Imane. "I didn't get the book." Lucas felt a tear fall from his eye, which he quickly wiped away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"It's ok, Lu...I told you, you don't have to do this. If I didn't have to be on this end of things, I would go instead. Please don't cry, it's not the end of the world."

"But it is, Imane...it is the end of the world...for me." He knew he was being dramatic, but he couldn't help himself. He was worried about Eliott and wanted to be there for him, wanted to be there with him.

Imane didn't respond, only moved closer so that their sides touched. She placed her head on his shoulder. "Is this about Eliott?"

"Yeah," Lucas admitted. "How much do you know, Manon?"

"Imane caught me up...she told me about Eliott." Manon was not wearing her usual bold lipstick; it made her look younger.

Lucas gave a small smile. "What do you think...about everything?"

Manon took both hands and brought them to the sides of her head, mimicked an explosion. "Mind blown...still not sure this isn't some kind of early April Fish joke."

"So what happened?" Imane finally asked him.

Lucas caught them up, told them about what happened with Eliott at the party and the horrific journey back.

"Lucas, we can't risk it. You can't go through that, again. We'll figure out another way." Imane turned to face him. Her eyes had welled up with tears. "I couldn't live with that...if something happened to you. This is my fault."

"It's not your fault, Imane. I wanted to do this. I wanted to return, and I'm going back."

Imane protested but Manon only nodded, a small, knowing smile lifted the corner of her mouth.

Imane quieted, but her leg was shaking and her jaw was clenched tight. She took a deep breath, and he felt her finally relax. It was if a lightbulb had gone off in her head.

He reached over to grab her hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Ok...ok. We only have one more shot at this. I'm working on getting some more time juice, but there's been a ban on the sale of one of the chemicals to civilians, so I'm looking into other options...but we’re still a year out from being able to travel again, and that’s best-case scenario." Lucas sniffed. He didn't think his heart could break any more than it already had. "I need to go see Sofiane about something," Imane mumbled. She stood up and quickly put on her shoes while searching for her keys.

"Sofiane?" Lucas asked, his eyebrow rose in surprise.

"Oh, yeah," Manon giggled. "That happened."

Imane turned to face them, she playfully glared at them. "C'mon, guys, nothing happened. He just asked me out on a date. And I'm considering it...and he told me to stop calling him Professor."

Lucas smiled, although he was currently a sad love sack of a human being, he was happy for his friend. Imane found her keys and scurried over to kiss him on the cheek and hug Manon. "Don't wait up for me, I may be gone for a while." She looked between the two of them. Both of their eyebrows almost touching the top of their heads. Imane shook her head. "Nooo, you guys, I just have a lot to discuss with him...something I've been looking into..."

Lucas and Manon giggled. "Is _discuss_ a euphemism for something else? You're just making it worse, girl," Lucas teased.

Imane rolled her eyes. "Anyway, save me a bowl of spaghetti.” She blew them kisses as she raced out the door.

They both stared at the door for several beats before Lucas turned to face Manon. "Vodka?"

Manon nodded, "Vodka."

**** 

Lucas woke the next morning with a pounding headache and a sticky, sweet taste in his mouth. There was an empty bottle of Vodka on the coffee table along with a half-eaten cake and an empty half-gallon of ice cream. Manon was asleep on the other end of the couch, her head resting on its arm, her hair splayed across her face. Imane must have covered them the night before and placed pillows underneath them, although the pillows were now on the floor. 

"You're up." Imane entered from the hallway where a side door led to the garage.

She walked to the kitchen and came back holding a glass of something thick and yellow in her hand. She handed it to Lucas. He took a sniff of the concoction and gagged. "What's this?"

"It's my hangover remedy." They both looked over at Manon as she groaned and twisted to turn her face toward the back of the couch. She was soon sleeping again. "Looks like she's gonna need some, too."

"How do you know about hangover concoctions?” Lucas asked.

"My brother, Elias," Imane sighed. "Anyway, I've been up all morning, and I have something important to talk to you about." Lucas stood up and placed the drink on the table. "No, grab that...you're drinking it. I made some coffee, so you can have that after as a reward...that's the cost of Vodka and," Imane swept her hands over the mess on the table, "whatever else you guys ate last night."

"We ate our feelings," Lucas mumbled.

"I know, I know," Imane said sympathetically. She reached over to place the blanket higher on Manon's shoulder and kiss her on the head. Manon was lightly snoring now. "Let's go talk in the garage," she whispered.

Lucas nodded and followed her to the hallway and then out to the garage as he grudgingly took small sips of the pungent drink. If nothing else, the taste would eventually make him puke, which would probably make him feel better. Imane turned and narrowed her eyes and he took another sip, a tight grimace on his face.

"Ok, you’re gonna want to sit down for this." Lucas sat at their workbench. The serious set of her shoulders and voice made his heart skip a beat. "First thing, I had to tell Sofiane. Sorry I didn't talk to you first before telling Manon or Sofiane,” she said his name as though she was still getting used to the feel of it upon her lips, "but in each case, the circumstances called for it."

Lucas nodded, "I understand."

"Ok," Imane sighed in relief. "He was starting to get highly suspicious and I really needed his help with our latest dilemma." Lucas was quiet, let Imane gather her thoughts. "You remember when I told you my theory about how this all works?" Lucas nodded, remembering that night, months ago when they sat on her porch discussing time travel; it had still been theoretical then. "Well, you still need a person...or at least a sentient being. I don't think there's any way around that, but I've been talking to the professor about an idea I had since the last time you returned...and told me about Eliott. It got me thinking...could we simulate consciousness through the helmet?"

Lucas was confused at first but soon the wrinkle in his brow smoothed and he turned to look at her, understanding dawning on his face. 

"Three things...one, here is a tracking device. I was already working on the prototype for months, but now we actually have a reason to use it. I can't promise it will work, but keep it on you at all times." Lucas noticed that her eyes were starting to water, but she was doing her best to hold it together. "Two," she sniffed as she handed him a small notebook, "this is a notebook of big events and smart investments, we never decided what's the best course of action or how many major points may diverge from our timeline, but I hope you can figure it out...and I know you won't be greedy, but please try to keep a low profile." The tears were falling now and she didn't move to wipe them, just let them fall into her lap. She finally looked up to face him. "And finally, here's what you'll need to do on your end when it's time...as long as it doesn't put you in any danger and you can still get the book." She handed him a piece of paper with instructions.

He took the paper and read it over. His own tears were falling now.

"Love is its own miracle, more miraculous than even time travel. For two people to find each other, to share this journey together..." Imane's voice trailed off.

"Thank you, Imane...thank you."

She wiped her eyes and turned to face him. "I know you have a tough decision to make, but I want you to know I will support you no matter what you decide to do." She patted him on the leg. "And I think we should have that party here and invite our friends...and you should go see your mom and little brother."

"Yeah," Lucas sniffed. He wiped his face and put the three items in his backpack. He had a lot to think about.

****

They decided they would complete the third trip a week later. They had a little party at Imane and Manon's place and invited their friends. Lucas didn't tell his friends Yann, Arthur, and Basile much, but he did let them know he was considering doing a fellowship overseas and might have to leave on short notice. They were sad about him leaving but happy that he had such a great opportunity. He hated lying to them, but all things considered, their circle of insiders was already getting too large.

He hoped one day he would be able to see them again and tell them about his adventures. They reminisced about high school and smoked and drank and danced and laughed; it was if they knew moments like these would come less and less often as they each neared the end of their Uni years and considered leaving Paris. Endings were endings, no matter how fantastical, although they also heralded new beginnings.

The day after the party he visited his dad's house. It was a little uncomfortable but his stepmother tried to make him feel welcomed. He didn't stay long, mumbled a few words to his dad and spent most of the time in his brother’s room. He had brought him a soccer jersey he had wanted and played trains and cars with him. He hugged him close before saying goodbye and gave a quick nod to his dad, who watched him closely as he left, something unreadable in his eyes.

He caught the bus to his mother's house, knowing it would be the most difficult visit. He hadn't seen her in some time and she seemed genuinely happy to see him. She looked better, she had recently admitted herself to a clinic and had a circle of close friends from church who kept her busy and engaged. She looked better than she'd looked in years, like a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. She made them a light lunch of flaky pastry bread, cheese, wine and coffee, and they sat at the kitchen table, the light from the window making a soft halo around her blonde head.

“I stopped by dad’s and saw my brother."

"How was it?" She looked over her cup of coffee as she lightly blew on it, her blue eyes studying him closely.

"It was fine. I didn't say much to dad, but Ollie was happy to see me."

His mom smiled. "I'm happy that you have Ollie and Ollie has you...no matter what shit goes on between the old folks."

Lucas chuckled, "You're not old, Mom."

His mom huffed out a laugh. She quieted and placed her coffee on the table. "What's going on? You look...troubled."

Lucas studied the plate on the table before looking back up to meet her eyes. "I can't tell you everything, but I don't want to lie to you. I may be gone for a little while."

Her brow furrowed. "Where are you going?"

Lucas didn’t want to upset her and wanted to tell her as much as he could. "I fell in love, Mom...and I'm thinking about leaving to be with him."

His mom stilled, looked out the window before turning back to look at him. A small smile finally lifted the corners of her mouth. "You don't know how happy that makes me...but it's far away? You’ll still visit, right?"

He shook his head. "I will try to visit...if and when I can."

"I don't understand." She stood and walked to the kitchen sink, pressed her back against it as she faced him.

"I'll tell you one day."

"Lucas!" She paused, must have seen something in his face that made her not press any further. Her eyes watered. He rushed to embrace her and they stood like that for several minutes, the sun starting to set outside the window and the quiet steam of their coffees dissipating as the hot drinks cooled.

She pulled back, wiped the tears from his face and smoothed his hair. "When you find love, you don't let it go. You have to chase it even if it ends in heartbreak. You have one moment in time. I know that now. I thought I regretted your dad, but I don't anymore. I have some regrets, but I've forgiven him, and I don't regret falling in love. There were some moments in the beginning...and even later...that were magical."

“Hmm,” Lucas hummed. "I promise, I will come to visit you as soon as I can. But will you be ok?"

She stepped away, absently smoothed the front of her skirt and shook her hair as if shaking off the melancholy. "I know I will see you again, and I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine. I have a great therapist now, medication that finally works for me, a great church home, and great friends. I want _you_ to be happy. That's the only thing I ever wanted for you, Lucas. For you to be happy, and for you to know without any doubt that you are loved by me, by God...by your father."

Lucas frowned but didn't want his mom to worry and didn't want to spend any of their remaining time together talking about his dad. His mom may have forgiven him, but he wasn't ready to forgive his dad for the way he left them...at least not yet. He thought of the calm place and the answer he had almost understood...maybe he would be able to forgive him soon.

They spent the night watching old movies, playing silly songs on the piano, and looking through family albums. He hugged her for a long time before he left. The next day he returned to Imane's; he was ready to return to the past. He hugged Imane and Manon until all three of their tears had dried, and then he was gone.

**1985**

When he landed in the water, he considered not involving Eliott, but he knew it would be difficult to get the book without him. He also knew he had pretty much decided what path he would take, although there were still so many unknowns. 

He was more focused this time around, and their conversation, while still different from the times before, was close enough that Eliott invited him to the concert and back to his house while they were still on the beach. He changed his backstory a little, he was still a writer, but was only doing a general piece about American hairbands; he knew he could get the book, no need to bring Eliott in on that. They ate pizza, talked all evening, and barely paid attention to the movie, just like the first time. 

He decided to pass on the orange juice, but the cramps never returned, and unfortunately, he was so wired, he couldn't sleep. He, however, did not want a repeat of Eliott's night in the hospital, and quite honestly was craving Eliott’s presence, so he took a deep breath, thought, _well, fuck it,_ and let out the loudest, panicked scream he could muster. 

Eliott ran into the room and grabbed him, held him close, and thankfully, Lucas's body responded the same as it had before; there was no need to fake anything after that. This time, he was fully aware of his and Eliott's bodies, he listened closely when Eliott whispered against his hip and realized he had been right, Eliott had whispered in French, and even knowing that Eliott was going to say something, he still could barely make it out.

"I think I’m falling in love with you, Lucas,” Eliott sighed. 

Lucas knew he hadn't meant for him to hear it, so he pretended not to, not wanting to change anything from the first night they had been together. But it was different this time, at least for him, because this time he could savor the moment without worrying about what was coming next, or if he would mess something up, or if Eliott felt the same way he did. Surprisingly, his prescient knowledge of what was to come did not lessen the intensity of the experience but heightened it because now he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he loved the boy before him.

He was able to enjoy everything more fully, studied the moles, like miniature constellations, on Eliott's back, noticed the way his hair curled slightly at his temple from his sweat, the way his strong fingers felt against Lucas's stomach, and the way his eyes looked when he was close to release. This time, when Eliott climaxed, Lucas held his face in place, looked deeply into his eyes until he found his lover's soul, wanting him to understand what he was feeling. The kiss after was still passionate and gentle but meant so much more after all they had gone through.

The following day held no big surprises, except Idriss was a little less aggressive in his approach when he questioned Lucas about Eliott. He wondered what had changed that made Idriss more understanding. Had Eliott’s description of the night before changed because Lucas had been more present? He supposed he would never know. 

At the after-party, Lucas joined the band on stage, but only played a couple of songs before kissing Eliott and feigning thirst -- he was on a mission to get that book, and no force on Earth would stop him. But this time it was easy -- almost too easy -- as if once he had made the decision, all the doors of the universe opened up to him. He placed the decoy book in its velvet bag on the dresser and stuffed the real one in his backpack. 

When he returned to the first floor, he found Eliott and Idriss talking in the kitchen. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Eliott, tipsy and sweaty, but whole and well. Lucas told Eliott he wasn’t feeling well and asked if they could leave. He was so close, and he didn’t want to risk Michael realizing he had a fake in his possession while he was still there. Idriss said he still had more party in him, so they left him to his own devices and headed to Eliott’s.

“I have something to tell you,” Lucas said. They had showered together and now sat on Eliott’s bed eating a late dinner of scavenged sandwiches and chips.

You're from the future.” It was more a statement than a question and caused Lucas to straighten in shock.

“Huh?” It had not been the response he expected.

Eliott broke into a huge grin. “It’s from one of my favorite shows..._Happy Days,_ and you’re really not from the future but a Martian...or actually an Orkan?"

Lucas looked perplexed. _What was he talking about?_

"_Mork and Mindy_?"

"Ummm...," Lucas shook his head, finally realizing Eliott was referencing television shows. 

Eliott smiled. "Sorry, it looks like you're serious. What do you have to tell me?"

"That I...I _am_ from the future." 

There was an uncomfortably long silence followed by very loud laughter from Eliott. "Ok..." It was the only word Eliott was able to utter between his snorts. He finally regained control and then quieted as he realized Lucas was not smiling or laughing. Eliott frowned. “My friend Louis used to say the same thing. We were at Sonoma together.”

“Sonoma?”

“Don't worry about it.” Eliott sat back on his hands and squinted his eyes at Lucas.

"I'm serious, Eliott. I’ve been here two times before this. I've met you on that beach three times. I know your parents' names, even though we didn’t talk about that this time. I know where you went to school. You can drill me."

Eliott still looked skeptical and on the verge of laughing, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He appeared to be waiting for Lucas to tell him he was joking, but Lucas knew he didn't have much time to spare. Lucas looked down at his lap, "I know you have bipolar disorder."

Eliott sat up as if he’d been stung, his face reddened. "Did Idriss say something to you about that?"

"No, no," Lucas touched his arm to calm him, but Eliott jerked it away.

Eliott stood up, paced to the door and back. "Idriss told me to be careful. What kind of joke is this? Did you investigate me for your story?"

"No, I promise I'm being honest. My name _is_ Lucas, and I _am_ from Paris but from 2019. I’m not a writer, though. I’m a university student and part-time scientist...or at least scientist’s assistant." Lucas debated his next words, but he trusted Eliott even though he still looked like he was on the verge of throwing him out of his apartment. He walked over to the side of the bed and opened his backpack. "I came to get this." He handed the bag and book to Eliott.

"What is that? Is that the book Michael had backstage?" Eliott asked, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah, it’s the closest thing to a guide to time travel."

Eliott sat back down on the bed, flipping distractedly through the book before tracing the pentagram on its cover with his fingertips. "Hmmm," he murmured.

"I popped in the water literally from out of nowhere...you were right. And the last time I was here, you took a pill and had a horrible accident at that party, and I couldn’t let that happen again. I just couldn't." Lucas was trembling now, his words coming out in a rush. "It was my fault that happened to you, and I thought I wouldn’t involve you this time because I didn't want to risk hurting you anymore, but I couldn’t stay away..." Lucas was finally able to catch his breath and walked back to sit across from Eliott on the bed. Eliott watched him, but he couldn’t read his eyes, so he forged ahead. "...and over the course of these three times, I think I fell in love with you, but really I think that happened the very first time I saw you."

Lucas saw Eliott's eyes soften. He finally gave a small smile before speaking. "Ok, let’s say I believe you...what’s next? Why are you telling me now?"

Lucas moved closer, pushing the half-eaten plate of food to the side so that their knees touched. "Because there may be a way for me to stay here...with you...and still get the book back to my friend, Imane. Imane says this timeline appears to change drastically after this...I mean it's all code and numbers, so who knows if she's right, but I wonder if it diverges because of me...because I stay...and I interfere." Lucas closed his eyes before opening them again to look at Eliott. Eliott was silent, still watching him. He wondered what he was thinking but wanted to give him time to process everything.

Lucas took a deep breath. "In a little more than six months from now, an inspiring, young teacher will dare to see the stars and won't even make it past the clouds. My mom said she was young when it happened but remembered watching the accident unfold because they played it on television in schools. It stuck with her all her life. There's no way I can’t try to warn them! And will I even be able to get through to NASA, will they even take me seriously? I don’t know, but I know I will have to try. I know things I shouldn't know, like why it happens. Will they take me seriously if I share that knowledge? Will they fix it or scrap the mission? Will it matter? Or, is all the big stuff written in stone?

“And then there's 9-11 in the States...and 22/7 in Norway...and November 2015 in Paris." Lucas was trembling again, he remembered that day. "I was so scared, Eliott...I still have nightmares about it.

"There are so many, many tragedies, piled up like stones...some big, some small. Will a call at the right time with the right amount of detail help? Or will it cause something even more tragic to happen? If I change one big thing, will the other big things happen in the same way? Will more lives be lost, or different lives...will the scales have to be balanced?"

It was all coming out in a rush and Lucas realized he was crying and on the verge of sobbing. He hadn't realized he had been holding so much inside, that all the bruises on the world had bruised his soul in ways he hadn't imagined.

Eliott moved closer, grabbed his hands, smoothed his hair from his forehead so tenderly it made Lucas stop. His mind cleared and he was able to breathe again. "Please calm down...it's going to be ok. I can't imagine what you're going through...this is so huge, so unbelievable. There was a time when I was almost paralyzed when I had to make a choice. I would make a decision because I had to, you know, but I always worried about the path I never took...but I started trying to trust that inner voice." He touched Lucas right above his heart. "Our thoughts, I don’t know if they are really our own or if they're just so much noise, but that deeper thing," he pushed lightly against Lucas's chest, "that is what you listen to. I'm still learning how to listen to that voice."

He wiped the tears that had fallen from Lucas's eyes and then pressed his head against his own. They sat like that for several seconds.

Eliott gently pulled back, bit his lip nervously. "I have to be honest, though, Lucas, my shit is heavy. You have no idea. You can’t leave your home for me, your time for me...and you shouldn't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. All of it...from the small to the large will crush you; it will change that beautiful spirit of yours.

“I’m a mess, my life is a mess, and I don’t want you to have to deal with it. None of my relationships work and it’s always my fault. I don’t take my meds right, I shut people out, I’m up and down and left and right. You know yesterday on that beach, I was thinking about walking away from it all. Not telling anyone, just up and leaving..."

Lucas had let Eliott speak, had heard all the reasons why he shouldn't stay. "But you didn’t," he said quietly.

"No, I didn't," Eliott sighed. 

"Because I landed out of nowhere from the fucking future...and if that’s not a sign, I don’t know what the fuck would qualify."

Eliott huffed out a laugh. "I don’t want to be the reason for your unhappiness. What if what you say is true -- and believe me, I am suspending my disbelief so that we can have this conversation -- this isn’t you moving to a new town or even to a new country. And for me? Believe me, I'm not worth it. And what if this all goes to shit? What...are you just stuck here?"

Lucas thought of Imane's words, thought of his mother’s words. If love came, you grabbed hold. "I know you're worth it, Eliott...even if you can't see that. Didn't you just tell me to listen to that inner voice? I may be confused about everything else, but I know with perfect clarity what mine is saying when it comes to you. What is yours saying now? Do you want me to stay?"

Eliott shook his head. "Of course, I do, but-"

"No 'buts' or 'what-ifs' or 'what-you-think-you-know-will-happens'. Do you want me to stay? Today? Now? This very minute?"

Eliott closed his eyes, then slowly opened them. Something had changed in the way he was looking at him, and it made Lucas's heart start to settle. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes, I want you to stay." 

Lucas sighed in relief. He moved closer so that they were touching again. Lucas leaned over to kiss Eliott lightly at the corner of his mouth and then over his heart. He leaned back, studied him in the dim light. Eliott tilted his head to the side and then returned the kiss. He grabbed Lucas's face and brushed his fingers gently across his cheek. Lucas placed his head against Eliott's head and closed his eyes. He felt like he was in _The Calm_, and that’s when he knew, knew with everything in his heart and soul that this was where he belonged. Eliott turned Lucas's face upward, stretched his neck, and kissed him so deeply that Lucas felt wholly consumed. 

The calmness turned into something frantic and needful as they removed the few pieces of clothing they were wearing. It felt like a dance to Lucas, no, like a drum beat, a legato work of hands and mouth, a rat-ta-tat-tat of their hearts, and then they found a rhythm, their rhythm -- quickened breath, tongue, hands and fingers, sweat, connection, and then climax and release. It was their own song and it turned into a sort of lullaby as night turned into dawn and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Lucas remembered to set the alarm. He woke up abruptly and looked around the darkened room. Eliott stirred but Lucas couldn't tell if he was still sleeping. He reached over and smoothed his hair from his face. "I love you, Eliott."

Eliott opened one eye, smiled a sleepy smile, "I love you, too, Lucas."

Lucas quickly put on his clothes as Eliott sat up in the darkness and watched him. He left him like that as he went to grab his things from the other room. He was crying as he walked out the door.

**Present Day**

Imane stood near the door to the box. She heard something crackle, then sputter. She opened the door and peered inside. It was only the suit, inside was the book and envelopes with names written on the front. They were addressed to their closest friends, Lucas's mom, and his brother, Oliver. She put the book to the side and opened the letter addressed to her. She noticed some of the ink was smeared, as though he had been crying when he wrote it.

She smiled a sad but hopeful smile. She had the book; all was not lost.


	7. Headed for the Future - Neil Diamond (1986)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end...or is it?
> 
> Come on, lean on me  
And I'm gonna lean on you  
We're headed for the future  
And the future's ours  
Come on, come on  
Come on, come on  
Come on, come on  
Yeah
> 
> \- Neil Diamond, 1986

**Epilogue**

Lucas watched as Eliott picked up a seashell and threw it out into the ocean. It was a gorgeous California day with cloudless blue skies and plenty of sunshine. They had spent the morning eating a late breakfast at their favorite cafe near the beach and then walking lazily on the shore.

It had been a good year. At first, Lucas had found it difficult to accept that he wouldn't be able to stop every horrible tragedy in the world, but he had done what he could and had changed some things for the better. At least he hoped he had. He thought about the butterfly effect often: did that earthquake happen because he had stopped some other terrible accident? Sometimes, it kept him up late into the night, but he decided he would listen to that inner voice and do the best he could. Eliott's gentle, supportive love had helped a lot with that. 

They had flown to London to attend the Live Aid concert. Lucas knew what a once-in-a-lifetime event it would be, especially for Queen, and especially if the timeline followed his own as it concerned the band. He was humbled to be able to witness one of Freddy Mercury's greatest performances in person. Eliott was moved but Lucas had cried -- his knowledge of his history and their future giving him a unique perspective on what was unfolding.

Eliott had grabbed his hand as they stood still in the midst of all the noise and commotion around them, a sad, wistful smile on his face as he studied Lucas then looked back up at Freddy. He didn't ask any questions, only turned to press a long kiss on Lucas's temple. After the concert, Lucas had considered visiting Paris to see if his mom and dad existed in the current timeline, but he thought that would be tempting fate too much, so he refrained.

Lucas walked over to Eliott. He rolled up his pants and stepped into the water, dug his toes into the wet sand. Eliott playfully splashed him with water and he kicked some back in his direction. This was their haven, a place where he could forget about the notebook of future events and the responsibility it held, where Eliott could recenter and get away when he needed it. Lucas was grateful that so far he had wanted to do that with Lucas by his side.

Eliott grabbed Lucas's hand and tugged him close, enveloped him in a warm hug. Lucas laid his head on Eliott's chest as Eliott placed his chin lightly on Lucas's head and stared out into the ocean.

"I think this has been the best year of my life,” Eliott said.

"Mine, too," Lucas admitted.

"Do you miss them?"

Lucas sighed. He looked down at the watch containing the tracking device. He wondered if it even worked. "Yeah, a lot, but I know they're fine. I just wish they knew I was well and happy, so they don't worry."

"Do you regret it at all?"

He pulled his head away and looked up at Eliott. He shook his head from side to side, then strained his neck back and wiggled his nose. Eliott huffed out a laugh, as if he knew that was Lucas's tell to kiss him. He gently grabbed Lucas's face, licked into his mouth and then pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. They kissed until they were both breathless.

"If we keep this up, we'll have to end our lazy beach day and head back home,” Eliott whispered into his hair as he kissed him there.

Lucas looked around at the secluded section of the beach where they stood; there was a small outcropping of rock a few feet down the shore that had formed into a natural cave-like structure. It was positioned so that no one would be able to see them from the beach or street. Lucas looked at the cave and then back at Eliott, Eliott's gaze following his. Lucas bit his lip, which caused Eliott to glance down at his mouth; his eyes went dark and hooded.

Eliott yanked his arm and pulled him in the direction of the cave. "Let's go!"

Lucas laughed and followed willingly. As soon as they made it to the edge of the cave's entrance, something shimmered about twenty feet to their left. Lucas gasped and turned to push Eliott behind him, which caused Eliott to snort and grab Lucas around the waist to pick him up and position him so that Eliott was in front of him. Lucas rolled his eyes -- his heart was thumping in his chest in fear, but they would die fighting over who was going to protect whom from whatever was coming through the portal, and Lucas instinctively knew it was a portal; he felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu.

"Hey, bitches!"

He squinted his eyes and saw an image coming through. It was Manon. She solidified before his eyes, then ran to embrace him in a tight hug. Lucas hugged her back. He was so happy to see her, he felt tears immediately prick his eyes. He introduced Manon and Eliott, who hugged each other as well.

"I see it worked out,” she said, studying Lucas and Eliott. 

Lucas blushed then nodded. "So, I see you guys perfected our little project." She wasn't wearing a suit, but wore wraparound glasses with a small, clear box on the edge of one of the lenses.

"Yeah, with Sofiane and Imane working together, it's like Einstein and...who's another really smart scientist?" Manon asked.

Lucas and Eliott shrugged. "Hawking?" Lucas offered.

"Yeah, that works...it's like having the two smartest scientists in the world working on one thing all the time, except they're in love with each other, but neither wants to admit it, and all you want to do is smush their faces together so they can go ahead and kiss already!"

Eliott and Lucas stared at Manon. “He even left to work at a different school and still...very slow burn," she sighed in exasperation. She looked between the two of them and shrugged sheepishly. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, Imane and Sofiane have made this time travel thing their bitch."

Eliott laughed while Lucas shook his head. "So, I love that you're here...but why are you here?"

"Well, the first time I came here...let’s just say I was about ten minutes late." Manon was blushing, she looked over at the cave and then back at them and shrugged. Lucas was puzzled, he turned to look at the cave and then Eliott, but Eliott was hunched over in laughter. He was laughing so hard, Lucas was sure he was going to choke on his own spit. Lucas could only stand there, mortified, as understanding dawned on him. "And Lucas, you jumped up so quickly, I feared you had broken something.” She glanced down at his lap before quickly looking away.

That sent Eliott on another paroxysm of laughter; tears were now streaming down his face. “Well, shame it never happened now,” Eliott finally choked out. 

Manon continued while Lucas could only stand there feeling his neck burn with embarrassment, “So, I bopped right back to the future, although Imane was a little pissed that I wasted our resources instead of us just..._dealing with the situation like adults, _as she put it."

Lucas finally regained his composure as Eliott put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He had finally stopped laughing but now wore an infuriatingly smug smile on his face. Lucas turned back to Manon. “So, _why_ are you here?”

”Oh, yeah, yeah, it’s a matter of life or death! We need your help. We need to go to the future...well, back to our time and then forward to the future, like fifty years to the year 2070. We have to save Louis Valor!”

Lucas was confused. “The author of the time travel book? Isn't he dead?”

Manon shook her head. “We thought so, too, but it seems like he is very much alive, and Imane thinks he figured out how to manipulate the space-time continuum in order to live forever. Anyway, Imane can explain when we get back home.”

"We can't just leave. Our friends will worry, and I need to grab my notebook...I can't just leave that here."

"I know. We have a couple of days before we need to head back. Hopefully, that will give you enough time to settle your affairs. We should be able to come back to this time and it will be like you never left...but just in case."

Lucas nodded. He looked back at Eliott, who wore a big, silly grin on his face. "What do you say?"

"Umm, hell yeah!” Eliott answered.

He turned back to Manon. "Eliott has to come with me."

"Imane figured you would say that. I have two more glasses in my bag." 

Eliott stepped forward and put his arm around Lucas's neck. He still wore a huge, silly grin and his eyes were wide as saucers. "So...I'm going to be a time traveler?" 

Lucas rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, but he was laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for going on this journey with me to anyone who read this. 
> 
> A little bonus: Imane thinks Lucas is Louis Valor (paradoxes and all - but hey, time travel), and I know it’s pretty obvious, but just in case you skipped over the parts that confirmed it, Lucas is the old man on the beach.
> 
> And Manon unintentionally showing up at the wrong damn time — canon! 😂😫
> 
> I see lots of adventure and love in the future for these two, but things do get hairy here and there for the whole gang.
> 
> Again, I greatly appreciate the kudos and comments and hope you enjoyed it. ♥️


End file.
